1 


^ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 


BY 


ELLA  CALISTA  WILSON 


JS^^ 


NEW   YORK 

HENRY  HOLT  AND  COMPANY 

1904. 


iS4  6       2 


1903 


COPTRIQHT,   1904 
BY 

HENRY  HOLT  AND  COMPANY 


Published  November,  1904 


'V  Ir- 


«>  4 1. 


I  DEDICATE   THI8  BOOK 
TO 

Mt  deab  Mother  living, 
f 

AND   TO 

My  equally  dear  and  pedagogic  Father 

LONG   SINCE   passed   ON  ; 

and  to  all  other  parents 
'•Whose  concern  for  their  dear  little  ones  makes  them 
SO  irregularly  bold  that  they  dare  consult  their 

OWN      REASON     IN      THE      EDUCATION     OF    THEIR      CHILDREN, 
RATHER      THAN     WHOLLY      TO      RELY      UPON      OLD      CUSTOM." 


CONTENTS 

CHAfTKK  p^QB 

Introduction      .                vii 

I.    The  Fountain-head 1 

II.    Still  Fautuer  Back 8 

III.     "New  Education"  in  New  England     .        .  29 

IV.     School  Curuicula 45 

V.     Points  of  View 73 

VI.     Individuality 89 

VII.     Big  Things 114 

VIII.    The  Method  of  Limits 137 

IX.     "Natural  Method" 155 

X.    Arithmetic 173 

XI.    Child  Morality 204 

XII.     Practical  Morals 223 

XIII.  The  Children  Themselves      ....  246 

XIV.  Pedagogues  and  Parents        ....  265 


INTEODUCTION 

It  is  fitting  that  one  should  render  a  reason  for 
sending  forth  another  book  on  the  subject  of  Edu- 
cation when  so  many  excellent  ones  are  already  in 
the  field.  In  this  case  the  reason  is  a  simple  one; 
it  is  now,  and  ever  has  been,  the  custom,  for  trea- 
tises on  Education  to  be  written  by  Pedagogues  and 
celebrities,  for  and  among  themselves.  Scarce  one 
of  the  really  wise  and  worthy  ones  is  an  affair  for 
the  ordinary  Parent.  This  little  book  is  intended 
as  a  comment  on  Education  and  the  present  edu- 
cational situation,  from  the  point  of  view  of  a 
Parent,  and  is,  as  they  say  in  the  colleges,  pri- 
marily for  Parents,  but  open  to  Pedagogues  and 
others. 

It  may  be  said  that  many  Pedagogues  are  them- 
selves Parents.  But,  in  matters  educational,  Peda- 
gogues are  usually,  and,  in  the  case  of  fathers, 
almost  surely,  Pedagogues  first  and  Parents  sec- 
ondarily. Students  of  educational  history  cannot 
fail  to  observe  that  distinguished  Pedagogues  have 


vni  INTRODUCTION 

not  always  been  brilliant  successes  as  Parents,  or 
even  Parents  at  all.  Elizabeth  Peabody,  New  Eng- 
land's beloved  "  Kindergarten  Mother,"  was  a  spin- 
ster; John  Locke  was  a  bachelor;  so  was  Herbert 
Spencer;  Froebel  was  childless.  Of  Pestalozzi's 
children  history  remains  silent,  or  speaks  in  whis- 
pers. On  the  other  hand,  we  know  too  much  of 
the  fate  of  Rousseau's  offspring.  Writes  Francis 
Bacon: 

"  Surely  a  man  shall  see  the  noblest  works  and 
foundations  have  proceeded  from  childless  men, 
which  have  sought  to  express  the  images  of  their 
minds,  where  those  of  their  bodies  have  failed — so 
the  care  of  posterity  is  most  in  them  that  have  no 
posterity." 

We  marvel  that  the  greatness  of  great  men  is 
not  more  frequently  transmitted  to  their  children. 
John  Stuart  Mill  tells  us  that  the  children  of  ener- 
getic parents  frequently  grow  up  unenergetic.  One 
cannot  help  wondering  if  over-abounding  nervous 
force  is  not  too  often  possessed  at  the  expense,  pre- 
natal and  post-natal,  of  offspring.  As  for  Peda- 
gogues, they  nearly  always  live  at  high  nervous 
tension.  An  alert  educator,  if  he  finds  time  at  all 
to  attend  to  the  education  of  his  own  children,  is 
seldom    sufficiently   patient    and    reposeful    to    sit 


INTRODUCTION  IX 

quietly  by  and  see  them  enjoy  the  large  amount  of 
let-alone-ness  which  Nature  plainly  indicates  to  be 
their  birthright.  Miss  Peabody  had  in  mind  this 
same  thought  when  she  once  said  to  me,  "  It  really 
seems  to  take  one  order  of  mind  to  discover  edu- 
cational theories,  and  quite  a  different  one  to  apply 
them." 

Be  all  that  as  it  may,  there  will  yet,  for  a  long 
time  to  come,  continue  to  exist,  two  distinct  classes 
in  the  rearing  of  children — Pedagogues  and  Parents. 
But  Pedagogues  and  other  savants  dwell  apart  with 
the  Muses  on  Parnassus,  and  have  thoughts  and 
methods  of  thinking  peculiarly  their  own.  Thus  it 
results  that  they  have  also  a  language  of  their  own. 
Their  ideas  come  down  to  us  clothed  in  this  lan- 
guage Parnassian,  and  not  in  the  homely  speech  of 
the  plains  where  we  Parents  dwell.  Their  works, 
therefore,  although  in  substance  containing  what 
should  be  most  nourishing  soul-food  for  Parents, 
are  not  appetising  to  them.  An  example  or  two 
will  make  plain  what  I  mean.  It  is  in  the  following 
words  that  a  magazine  for  parents  and  teachers 
enlightens  its  readers  concerning  the  interest- 
ing "  Culture  Epochs "  of  the  race  and  the  indi- 
vidual: 

"This,    the    so-called    theory    of    the    Culture 


X  INTRODUCTION 

Epochs,  is  an  application  to  the  psychical  develop- 
ment of  the  child  of  the  theory  of  recapitulation 
which  the  doctrine  of  Evolution  regards  as  estab- 
lished for  the  physical  development  of  the  indi- 
vidual.'* 

This  is  solid  educational  food.  It  is,  doubtless, 
a  portion  easily  digested  and  assimilated  by  stu- 
dents. The  idea  contained  in  it  is  simple 
enough,  too;  but  would  even  the  well-educated 
among  the  great  mass  of  parents  and  teachers  be 
likely  to  be  tempted  by  it  in  that  form? 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  appointed,  among 
the  Pedagogues  of  our  day,  a  committee  to  confer 
and  report  upon  the  question  as  to  what  are  the 
most  desirable  subjects  to  be  taught  in  our  schools, 
and  the  relative  amount  of  time  which  may  be 
profitably  devoted  to  each;  in  other  words,  to  devise 
a  course  of  studies  for  our  public  schools.  The 
story  of  that  committee,  and  the  course  of  study 
which  they  devised,  will  be  told  in  our  chapter  on 
"  School  Curricula."  At  present  we  are  only  to  con- 
cern ourselves  with  the  fact  that  this  important 
committee  was  made  up  solely  of  Pedagogues. 
Does  it  not  seem  an  infinite  pity  that  the  parental 
view  should  not  have  been  represented  in  discussing 
a  matter  of  so  much  import  to  the  well-being  of 


INTRODUCTION  XI 

our  children?  "We  Parents  have  not  yet,  we  do 
readily  acknowledge,  in  the  mass  of  us,  education 
and  training  to  render  us  well  fitted  for  such  work. 
Nevertheless,  it  does  seem  that  at  least  one  layman, 
one  Parent  as  such,  should  have  been  looked  up 
among  us  and  appointed  to  serve  on  that  committee. 
If  our  children  come  out  to  our  discredit,  it  is  the 
Parents,  not  the  long-forgotten  teachers,  who  are 
held  responsible.  "Is  this  your  son,  my  Lord?" 
not,  "was  this  your  pupil?" 

Moreover,  who  should  have  been  looking  with 
interest  to  the  publication  of  that  report?  Parents, 
too,  as  well  as  so-called  educators.  And  some  of 
us  were,  indeed,  eagerly  interested.  But  when,  at 
last,  the  pamphlet  came  forth,  thoughtful  and  com- 
plete beyond  criticism,  it  was  uncompromisingly  an 
affair  solely  among  Pedagogues.  There  was  not  a 
single  sop  to  us  Parents  in  the  whole  long  extent 
of  it.  Nor  was  it  much  more  fitted  to  be  profit  or 
enjoyment  for  our  teachers,  who  are  but  our  sisters 
and  daughters,  and  are  not  of  the  savants  of  Par- 
nassus. 

A  little  after  the  publication  of  this  report,  I 
was  riding  on  a  trolley-car  out  into  one  of  the 
beautiful  suburbs  of  Boston,  on  a  day  when  time 
and  place  and  weather  should  have  kept  every  soul 


XU  INTRODUCTION 

at  peace  with  itself.  On  the  seat  hefore  me,  a 
sweet-faced  young  woman,  with  worried  brow,  was 
poring  over  a  yellow-covered  pamphlet.  A  little 
pardonable  craning  of  the  neck  convinced  me  of 
what  I  had  already  guessed;  my  neighbour  was  a 
young  teacher  wrestling  conscientiously  with  that 
report  on  "  Correlation  of  Studies,"  page  G.  Im- 
mediately on  arriving  at  home  I  looked  up  my 
copy  and  turned  to  page  6.  My  eye  fell  upon  the 
following  passage: 

"  The  psychological  ideal  which  has  prevailed  to 
a  large  extent  in  education  has  in  the  old  phrenol- 
ogy, and  in  the  recent  studies  in  physiological  psy- 
chology, sometimes  given  place  to  a  biological  ideal. 
Instead  of  the  view  of  mind  as  made  up  of  faculties 
like  will,  intellect,  imagination,  and  emotion,  con- 
ceived to  be  all  necessary  to  the  soul  if  developed 
in  harmony  with  one  another,  the  concept  of  nerves 
or  brain-tracts  is  used  as  the  ultimate  regulative 
principle  to  determine  the  selection  and  arrange- 
ment of  studies." 

Poor,  baffled,  earnest  girl  teacher!  Could  all  that 
help  her  the  least  bit  in  her  endeavours  to  cooper- 
ate with  the  "  ultimate  regulative  principle  "  at  the 
basis  of  her  work? 

Again:  a  bright,  enthusiastic  young  teacher  of 


INTRODUCTION  Xlll 

Maine,  a  neighbour  of  ours  in  this  town  where  we 
are  spending  the  summer,  showed  me  the  text-book 
from  which  she  and  her  fellow-teachers  are  study- 
ing Pedagogy  under  their  superintendent.  She 
wore  a  woful  face. 

"  I  hate  the  book,"  she  said.  "  I  suppose  the 
ideas  are  all  right,  but  the  language  of  it!  These 
are  not  at  all  the  words  we  use;  I  don't  understand 
half  of  them." 

It  takes  a  long  apprenticeship  to  acquire  the  art 
of  being  inspired  by  ideas  expressed  in  Parnassian 
English,  even  although  one  may  know  the  literal 
meaning  of  every  word.  The  text-book  used  by 
this  class  gives  definitions  of  all  the  important 
duties  and  departments  of  teaching;  is,  indeed,  a 
fine  topical  analysis  of  pedagogy  in  pedagogical 
language.  I  give  you  a  few  examples.  Teaching 
is  once  defined  "  in  its  own  terms  ";  then  we  have 
the  following  paragraph,  its  definition  "in  terms 
of  learning  acts": 

"  Learning  Acts : — Stated  explicitly  in  terms  of 
learning  acts,  the  teaching  acts  are:  (1)  Causing 
the  formation  of  clear  individual  percepts  and  con- 
cepts; (2)  Causing  the  formation  from  these  of 
correct  general  concepts  and  conclusions,  together 
with  a  quickening  and  strengthening  of  motives; 


XIV  INTRODUCTION 

(3)  Causing  an  apt  and  skilful  application  of  the 
knowledge  and  power  thus  gained  to  the  demands 
of  practical  life,  or  to  the  increase  of  needful  knowl- 
edge." 

Now  I  appeal  to  you:  is  it  not  disheartening  to 
a  young  district  school-teacher,  with  some  forty  or 
fifty  pupils  of  almost  as  many  grades,  to  have  to  be 
taught  to  stop  and  analyse  her  faithfulness  in  that 
fashion,  and  in  language  of  that  sort?  And  to  go 
to  class  and  recite  it! 

One  other  example  from  this  text-book; — the 
teachers  are  instructed  that  curriculum-making  "  is 
a  subject  in  management  rather  than  methodology." 
And  the  lesson  goes  on, — 

"  It  is  intended  here  to  take  the  principal  and 
typical  subjects  that  are  common  to  school  cur- 
ricula, as  they  now  exist,  and  discuss  briefly  their 
relative  values  as  acquisitional,  assimilational,  and 
expressional,  preliminary  to  a  treatment  of  the 
methodology  of  each." 

In  fulfilment  of  this  promise  the  definition  of 
"acquisition"  is  as  follows:  "It  comes  near 
enough  to  say  that,  as  here  used,  acquisition  is  the 
operation  that  involves  the  activity  of  the  senses 
and  memory,  and  of  judgment  in  its  elementary 
function  of  forming  concrete  concepts  "! 


INTRODUCTION  XV 

Much  marvelling,  I  asked  a  successful  teacher 
friend  of  mine  what  she  would  define  "  acquisition  " 
to  mean,  when  she  spoke  of  the  acquisition  of 
knowledge.  "  Why,  it  means  the  getting  of  knowl- 
edge," she  answered,  in  surprise  at  the  question; 
and  I  pondered  upon  the  simplicity  of  our  language 
of  the  plains,  as  compared  with  that  of  Parnassus. 
"  Interest,"  in  this  marvellous  book,  is  defined  as 
a  "  summation  of  feeling." 

But  to  return  to  our  troubled  teacher  who  is 
studying  the  book.  This  young  woman  takes  an 
individual  interest  in — perhaps  I  should  say,  "  has 
a  summation  of  feeling,"  for — each  pupil  in  her 
large  school.  She  even  came  over  the  other  day 
to  see  if  our  lad  had  any  outgrown  clothing  which 
would  do  for  a  little  pupil  of  hers  who,  she  was 
sure,  "  would  have  more  self-respect  if  he  had  whole 
clothes."  Now  that  young  woman  is  going  up  to 
Bangor  in  January  to  learn  stenography,  and  I 
cannot  help  feeling  that  she  would  not  have  been 
lost  to  our  teaching  force  if  her  weekly  classes  in 
Pedagogy  had  been  made  sources  of  inspiration  and 
comradeship,  instead  of  weariness  and  a  long,  bur- 
densome lesson  to  learn.  Moreover,  I  cannot  help 
asking  myself  if  those  classes  would  not  have  been 
far  more  likely  to  be  encouraging  and  inspiring  if 


XVI  INTRODUCTION 

Parents  were  hand  in  hand,  as  they  should  be,  in 
the  management — or  is  it  methodolog}' — of  school 
affairs,  and  the  training  of  teachers. 

Once,  on  one  of  the  timid  little  visits  which  I 
occasionally  make  to  Parnassus,  I  expostulated  on 
this  custom  of  handicapping  simple,  ever3^-day 
ideas,  by  sending  them  forth  for  the  use  of  teachers 
so  heavy-laden  with  ponderous  language.  I  re- 
ceived the  mildly  reproachful  reply: 

"  Why,  scientists  must  express  themselves  in 
terms  of  their  own  sciences;  they  cannot  be 
bothered  by  the  syncretic  circumlocutions  and  re- 
dundancies of  the  uneducated." 

"True!  true!"  I  exclaimed  appeasingly,  "but 
pray,  might  there  not  be  appointed  a  commission 
to  translate  the  best  of  the  Parnassian  works  into 
the  homely,  every-day  vernacular  of  the  plains,  lest 
their  really  helpful  and  elevating  thoughts  be  lost 
to  us  by  the  simple  accident  of  their  being  in  a 
different  dialect? — even  as  the  beautiful  tales  of 
Chaucer  might  have  been  lost  to  the  mass  of  us, 
had  they  not  been  translated  from  old  into  modern 
English." 

Ever  since  that  conversation  my  mind  has  again 
and  again  occupied  itself  with  visions  of  interlinear, 
parallel-column,  or,  better  still,  free,  translations 


INTRODUCTION  XVU 

of  the  best  of  these  works,  for  the  use  of  Parents. 
Such  an  achievement  in  our  behalf  would  be  a 
great  boon,  as  many  of  us  would  like  to  educate  our- 
selves to  the  point  of  co-operating  with  Pedagogues 
on  a  subject  which  is  even  nearer  to  our  hearts  than 
to  theirs. 

The  point  of  view  of  the  Parent  is,  indeed,  a 
vastly  different  one  from  that  of  the  Pedagogue. 
Each  of  us  likes  to  make  his  calling  a  success.  It 
is  no  disparagement  to  the  Pedagogue  or  school- 
teacher that  his  ambition  is  almost  invariably  for 
a  successful  school;  while  a  Parent's  ambition  is 
always  for  the  success  of  the  individual  pupil — his 
own  particular  boy  or  girl. 

The  Pedagogue  studies  the  laws  of  childhood; 
the  Parent  the  temperament  and  needs  of  his  par- 
ticular child.  The  school-teacher  advances  the 
children  in  regiment,  lock-step;  the  Parent  in  their 
natural  gait,  in  their  strug^lings  and  self-directed 
sprawlings.  Which  deals  with  the  real  children? 
The  motive,  too,  is  different.  The  Pedagogue  is 
influenced  by  high  moral  purpose;  the  Parent  by 
passionate  love.  Neither  is  sufficient,  yet  who  does 
not  know  how  far  love  transcends  all  other  springs 
of  judgment  and  action?  "Love  is  a  celestial 
torch,  flooding  us  with  light  in  our  holy  work  of 


XVIU  INTRODUCTION 

clearing  for  loved  ones,  the  highroads  and  bypaths 
to  ideals." 

Parents  should  feel  that  to  them  alone  is  given 
the  supreme  and  divine  responsibility  of  the  culture 
of  their  children.  Educators  and  others  can  be 
valuable  assistants,  but  they  are  rightly  the  assist- 
ants, not  the  principals.  Every  chapter  in  this  book 
is  penned  with  earnest  desire  to  do  a  small  share 
in  hastening  the  day  when  the  wisdom  of  the  Parent 
shall  be  welcomed  in  the  councils  of  the  Peda- 
gogues. Only  by  the  union  of  parental  love,  and 
pedagogic  zeal  and  high  purpose,  can  the  present 
new,  widespread  interest  in  Education  attain  to 
fullest  blossoming  and  fragrance. 


PEDAGOGUES    AND    PARENTS 


THE  FOUNTAIN-HEAD 

(Emile) 

"  Who,  then,  shall  educate  my  child  ?  I  have  already  told 
you, — yourself." — Rousseau. 

As  they  came  to  him  one  after  another,  Jean 
Jacques  Rousseau  consigned  his  children  to  the 
care  of  the  great  Foundling  Hospital  of  Paris,  uni- 
versal foster-mother  of  orphans  and  undesired  chil- 
dren; consigned  them  to  namelessness  and  oblivion. 
Thus  only  might  he  obtain  peace  and  repose  to 
bring  forth  and  rear  Emile,  the  child  of  his  brain; 
the  renowned  Emile,  whose  mission  was  to  give 
world-wide  inspiration  to  parents  in  the  bringing 
up  of  their  children.  In  vain  does  the  lamenting 
Therese  plead  for  the  keeping  of  one.  Just  one  of 
their  children,  to  solace  the  cravings  of  her  mother- 
heart.  Jean  Jacques  will  not  be  able  to  rightly 
educate  the  child  of  his  imagination  with  the  dis- 


2  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

turbance  of  even  one  offspring  of  his  body  "  puking 
and  puling  "  under  his  roof. 

Whatever  the  ^fate  of  Kousseau's  actual  children, 
the  vivid  story  of  the  childhood  of  his  fancy -born 
Emile  was  to  overturn  all  existing  ideas  on  the  sub- 
ject of  Education.  Eed-hot  from  his  revolutionary 
pen,  it  was  a  firebrand  in  the  educational  and  family 
world  of  Europe.  It  kindled  men  and  women  not 
only  to  emotion,  but  to  action. 

Education  had  long  been  at  a  wearisome,  monoto- 
nous, life-killing  standstill.  The  evangel  of  Emile 
persuaded  even  the  elegant  ladies  of  society  to  forget 
their  lapdogs,  and  put  themselves  to  the  task  of 
personally  conducting  the  education  of  their  chil- 
dren. It  became  the  fad  and  fashion  of  society,  as 
well  as  the  earnest  aspiration  of  educators,  to  be- 
come tutor  and  guide  to  some  small  child  who  could 
play  for  them  the  role  of  an  Emile. 

Here  is,  indeed,  a  book  written  for  Parents.  In 
language  simple,  fervent,  direct,  passionate,  it  ad- 
dresses itself  to  any  one,  Parent  or  Pedagogue,  who 
wishes  to  develop  a  child  to  the  full  stature  of  a 
man.  Were  I  a  parent  newly  coming  into  the 
knowledge  that  it  is  the  first  duty  of  parents  to 
secure  for  their  children  a  full,  free  development  of 
their  possibilities  and  powers,  and  wished  to  land 


THE   FOUNTAIN-HEAD  3 

myself  in  the  promptest  way  among  those  in  the 
van  of  Education  to-day,  I  would,  first  of  all,  devour 
this  book,  Einile.  Payne  styles  it  "The  greatest 
educational  classic  in  the  world."  It  is  the  head- 
water of  the  whole  system  of  later  streams  and 
torrents  of  "  New  Education  "  theories,  "  ^STatural 
Methods,"  "Nature's  Method  of  learning  all 
things,"  methods  for  acquiring  "  Complete  mastery 
of  a  foreign  language  in  six  weeks,"  etc.,  etc. 

If  you  do  but  once  get  into  your  understanding, 
the  simple,  fascinating  principles  of  this  book,  you 
will  scarce  ever  again  meet  ^vith  new  ideas  on  the 
subject  of  Education;  you  will  meet  only  varieties 
and  manipulations  of  these.  Do  not  fear  the  pas- 
sion of  it;  nor  the  inconsistencies;  nor  stop  to  exam- 
ine into  the  ridiculousnesses  of  it.  Get  into  the  on- 
rushing  current  of  it,  and  steam  on  and  on;  turn 
not  to  right  or  to  left  to  pick  up  the  odd  things  in 
the  stream.     Eeturn  later  for  flotsam  and  jetsam. 

Possibly  this  book  made  its  impression,  not  in 
spite  of  having  its  pearls  discovered  in  all  sorts  of 
impossible  shells,  but  by  the  very  fact  of  it.  The 
"  New  School "  will  tell  you  that  you  cannot  know 
white  without  knowing  black;  beauty  except  along- 
side of  ugliness;  that  virtue  is  not  virtue  until  it 
has  known  and  resisted  evil;  in  a  word,  that  we  get 


4  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

our  knowledge  through  contrasts.  So  read  steadily 
on  and  catch  the  spirit,  even  more  than  the  often 
contradictory  principles.  After  Emile  read  any- 
thing  which  will  help  you  educate  your  children;  but 
first  read  Emile — at  all  events  a  good  deal  of  it. 
Historians  say  that  the  French  Revolution  was 
fought  with  the  sword  in  the  right  hand,  and  the 
works  of  this  "  Censor  of  Civilisation  "  in  the  other, 
and  that  the  left  hand  was  the  one  more  feared. 
We  do  not  fear  Eousseau.     We  are  a  democracy. 

It  goes  without  saying  that,  while  Emile  may  be 
called  the  head-water  of  the  "  New  Education " 
system,  this  head-water  had  many  feeding-springs. 
All  the  intuitively  wise  and  gentle,  from  ancient 
child-lovers  down  to  "  the  great  John  Locke,"  con- 
tributed to  the  full-flooding  of  this  fountain-head 
of  modern  educational  ideas  and  ideals. 

Is  there,  then,  so  vast  a  difference  between  the 
New  and  the  Old  in  Education?  Let  us  see  a  little. 
First,  we  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  Old  is  of  the 
spirit  of  total-depravity  theory  of  human  nature, 
and  of  the  natural  state  of  alienation  between  God 
and  Man;  and  that  the  New  is  filled  with  the  in- 
spiration which  comes  of  the  belief  that  Man  is  the 
noblest  work  of  God,  is  made  in  his  image,  and 
has  within  him  the  promise  of  ultimately  develop- 


THE   FOUNTAIN-HEAD  6 

ing  into  a  being  worthy  to  be  called  a  Son  of  God. 
"  Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child,"  exhorts  the 
Old;  "  Spoil  the  rod  and  spare  the  child,"  retorts 
the  New. 

"  Receive  the  child  at  six  and  load  him  like  an 
ox,"  enjoins  the  Talmud;  and  not  only  our  Puritan, 
John  Milton,  but  most  master-spirits  of  the  past 
keep  full  pace  with  the  Hebrew,  as  we  shall  show 
in  our  chapter  on  "  School  Curricula." 

Montaigne,  writing  of  the  gentleness  of  his 
father's  method  of  educating  him,  tells  how  that 
fond  parent  avoided  the  violence  of  a  sudden  awak- 
ening in  the  morning,  "  which  doth  greatly  trouble 
and  distemper  their  brains."  "  He  would  every 
morning  cause  me  to  be  awakened  by  the  sound  of 
some  instrument,  and  I  was  never  without  a  servant 
who  to  that  purpose  attended  upon  me." 

Compare  this  with  the  more  usual  old-time  cus- 
tom of  giving  such  orders  as,  to  "  truly  belash  him 
till  he  will  amend,"  illustrated  by  the  twenty-three 
whippings  received  by  poor  little  Martin  Luther  in 
one  day! 

The  old-time  idea  was  that  the  more  a  child  was 
kept  at  his  book,  and  whipped  up  to  it,  the  greater 
scholar  he  would  become;  that  that,  indeed,  was  the 
surest  way  of  compelling  his  salvation.     One  gets 


6  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS- 

a  fair  idea  of  the  wide  gulf  between  the  Old  and 
the  New  by  reminding  himself  of  the  beautiful, 
attractively  illustrated,  over-abundant  juvenile  lit- 
erature of  to-day,  and  then  recalling  to  mind  that  in 
the  olden  days  there  was  seldom  any  children's  lit- 
erature at  all.  The  Book  of  Proverbs  was  for  gen- 
erations the  book  from  which  juvenile  Scotland  was 
taught  to  read.  John  Euskin  learned  to  read  by  be- 
ginning at  the  first  chapter  of  the  Bible,  reading 
it  through  to  the  end,  hard  words,  genealogies  and 
all,  and  then  immediately  beginning  it  over  again. 
We  are  all  familiar  with  our  own  New  England 
Primer,  with  its  Bible-texts  and  warnings,  and  its 
dreadful  little  wood-cuts.  At  one  time  it  was  the 
regular  thing  to  begin  a  boy's  education  with  the 
reading  of  Latin.  Why  not?  All  the  great  works 
were  in  Latin.  Moreover,  the  school  reading,  in 
Latin  or  in  English,  was  arranged  for  practical  in- 
struction as  well  as  for  learning  to  read,  and  was 
often  diversified  by  awful  warnings  concerning  the 
horrors  of  hell  and  the  counter-attractions  of  harp- 
playing,  psalm-singing  heaven.  They  did,  indeed, 
put  the  big  end  of  the  wedge  in  first,  those  sturdy 
educators  of  the  past!  That  it  is  safe  to  treat 
children  rationally,  or  even  humanly  and  humanely 
in  the  schools,  is  an  idea  of  very  recent  times.     If 


THE   FOU>'TAIN-HEAD  7 

the  gods  liad  the  habit,  as  the  ancients  believed 
they  had,  of  passing  their  leisure  in  observing  the 
doings  of  mortals,  they  must  have  felt  that  they 
had  a  continuous  performance  for  their  edification, 
in  the  tragi-comic  drama  presented  by  the  conflict 
of  these  rival  lines  of  thought  and  feeling  all  through 
the  Middle  Ages,  and  even  down  to  the  present 
time.     Munroe,  in  his  History  of  Education,  writes: 

"  The  sins  committed  in  the  name  of  liberty  pale 
before  those  committed  under  the  guise  of  educa- 
tion. The  school  world  was  filled,  in  the  old  days, 
with  the  wails  of  children, ,  tortured  in  body  and 
mind,  with  the  strife  of  barbarous  art  contending 
with  outraged  Nature;  with  the  wrecks  of  fine  souls 
ruined  by  mal-education." 

Is  it  not  an  infinite  pity  that  victims  could  not 
have  been  furnished  for  these  wranglings  and  ex- 
perimentations, other  than  tender,  helpless  little 
children?  We  have  banished  "  tortures  of  the  body  " 
from  our  schools,  also  "  tortures  of  the  mind," — 
somewhat.  Yet  have  we  not  still  about  us  too 
many  "  wrecks  of  fine  souls  ruined  by  mal-educa- 
tion"?— ruined  by  over-education,  under-education, 
and  by  education  against  the  grain? 


n 

STILL  FARTHER  BACK 

"  We  play  the  fools  with  the  times,  and  the  spirits  of  the 
wise  sit  in  the  clouds  and  mock  us." — Shakespearr 

No  thought  is  wholly  our  own  until  we  are 
familiar  with  the  biography  of  it.  It  is  profitable 
for  us  Parents,  as  well  as  for  so-called  educators,  to 
look  over  the  educational  field  as  far  back  as  we 
may.  Putting  aside  the  temptation  to  return  to 
classical  antiquity,  let  us  take  a  brief  glance  at  the 
beginnings  of  Modern  Education. 

"  At  the  mid-point  between  ancient  and  modern 
history  stands  the  commanding  figure  of  Charles 
the  Great,"  writes  West,  one  of  Alcuin's  biog- 
raphers, "  finisher  of  the  old  order  of  things  and 
beginner  of  the  new."  Likewise,  at  the  mid-point 
between  the  old  and  the  new  in  education,  stands 
Charles's  famous  "  Palace  School,"  that  "  Pioneer 
school  for  the  nobles  of  the  realm,"  and  the  two 
more  humble  schools  for  the  clergy  and  the  peas- 
antry.   Modern  Education,  we  may,  indeed,  fancy, 

8 


STILL   FARTHER   BACK  9 

began  about  the  year  800  with  this  "University 
of  Aachen,"  which  by  stretch  of  courtesy  may  be 
called  the  first  university  of  France,  or  of  Germany, 
as  you  please.  The  august  and  puissant  emperor, 
Charlemagne,  having  got  the  whip  hand  of  all  his 
enemies,  had  determined  that  his  capital  should 
become  a  centre  of  learning.  We  read  how  he  en- 
ticed hither  Alcuin,  the  foremost  of  English 
scholars,  to  establish  a  school  in  his  palace.  We 
hear  this  Palace  School  spoken  of  in  terms  of  rever- 
ence and  awe.  We  read  Charlemagne's  imposing 
edict  which  he  sent  out  all  over  Frankland,  and  we 
picture  to  ourselves, — well,  a  Harvard  or  a  Yale 
University.  This  edict  has  been  called  the  first 
general  charter  of  education  for  the  Middle  Ages. 

"  It  is  our  wish,"  runs  this  famous  edict,  "  that 
you  may  be  what  it  behooves  the  soldiers  of  the 
Church  to  be — religious  in  heart,  learned  in  dis- 
course, pure  in  act,  eloquent  in  speech;  so  that  all 
who  approach  your  house  in  order  to  invoke  the 
Divine  Master,  or  to  behold  the  excellence  of  the 
religious  life,  may  be  edified  in  beholding  you,  and 
instructed  in  hearing  you  discourse  or  chant,  and 
may  return  home  rendering  thanks  to  God  most 
High." 

What  more  than  that  can  our  colleges  of  to-day 


10  TEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

expect  of  their  sons?  It  is  interesting  to  get  a 
glimpse  of  how  they  attempted  to  fulfil  these  high 
ideals  in  this  long-ago  university.  "  Let  it  be  re- 
membered," writes  West,  "  that  the  tall,  blue-eyed 
barbarians,  whom  Alcuin  was  aiming  to  civilise, 
were  but  little  children  when  it  came  to  school 
learning.  .  .  .  Even  his  master  Charles  had  to  toil 
painfully  to  bend  his  fingers,  stiffened  with  long  use 
of  the  sword,  to  the  clerkly  task  of  writing,  and 
confessed  that  he  acquired  the  art  with  great  diffi- 
culty." West  quotes  for  us  interesting  bits  from 
the  dialogues  written  by  x\lcuin  for  his  pupils. 
This  one,  on  "  Rhetoric  and  the  Virtues,"  was  com- 
posed in  response  to  a  request  from  the  King: 

"  What  art  thou?  "  asks  Alcuin,  and  after  Charles 
answers,  "I  am  a  man"  {homo,  for  of  course  this 
is  all  in  Latin),  the  dialogue  goes  on  as  follows: 

Alcuin.     See  how  thou  hast  shut  me  in. 

Charles.     How  so? 

Alcuin.  If  thou  sayest  I  am  not  the  same  as 
thou,  and  that  I  am  a  man,  it  follows  that  I  am  not 
a  man. 

Charles.     It  does. 

Alcuin.     But  how  many  syllables  has  Homo? 

Charles.     Two. 

Alcuin.     Then  art  thou  those  two  syllables? 


STILL   FARTHER   BACK  11 

Charles.  Surely  not;  but  why  dost  thou  reason 
thus? 

Alcuin.  That  thou  mayest  understand  sophis- 
tical craft  and  see  how  thou  canst  be  forced  to  a 
conclusion." 

A  similar  dialogue  was  ^Titten  for  two  of  Alcuin's 
young  pupils  who  had  "  but  lately  rushed  upon  the 
thorny  thickets  of  grammatical  density."  The  fol- 
lowing was  composed  for  the  sixteen-year-old  Prince 
Pepin: 

"  The  Disputation  of  Pepin,  the  Most  Noble  and 
Eoyal  Youth,  with  Albinus,  the  Scholastic. 

Pepin.     What  is  writing? 

Alcuin.     The  guardian  of  history. 

Pepin.     What  is  language? 

Alcuin.     The  betrayer  of  the  soul. 

Pepin.     What  generates  language? 

Alcuin.     The  tongue. 

Pepin.     What  is  the  tongue? 

Alcuin.     The  whip  of  the  air. 

Pepin.     What  is  air? 

Alcuin.     The  guardian  of  life. 

Pepin.     What  is  life? 

Alcuin.  The  joy  of  the  happy;  the  expectation 
of  death. 

Pepin.     What  is  death? 


12  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

Alcuin.  An  inevitable  event;  an  uncertain  jour- 
ney; tears  for  the  living;  the  probation  of  wills-  the 
stealer  of  men. 

Pepin.     What  is  man? 

Alcuin.  The  slave  of  death;  a  passing  traveller; 
a  stranger  in  his  place." 

Here  is  one  on  what  we  should  now  call  Physics: 

"What  is  snow? 

Dry  water. 

What  is  winter? 

The  exile  of  summer. 

What  is  spring? 

The  painter  of  the  earth. 

What  is  autumn? 

The  barn  of  the  year." 

"  After  more  of  the  same  sort,  the  dialogue 
rapidly  runs  into  puzzles  and  then  closes." 

There  are  problems  for  "  whetting  the  wit  of 
youth  ";  for  instance,  a  king  is  "  gathering  an  army 
in  geometric  progression;  one  man  in  the  first  town, 
two  in  the  second,  four  in  the  third,  eight  in  the 
fourth,  and  so  on  through  thirty  towns.  The  total 
is  1,973,748,823  soldiers,  an  army  which  might  well 
amuse  the  imperial  pupil!  " 

No  rule  for  geometric  progression!  Simple 
counting  up  and  adding!     And  the  only  figures  used 


STILL   FARTHER   BACK  13 

are  the  Roman  numerals!  Try  it  yourself!  In- 
teresting it  surely  is,  but  it  cannot  fail  to  summon 
up  a  smile  of  amusement  and  wonder  when  we  re- 
gard it  as  the  serious  "  content "  of  a  university 
course! 

Time  spent  among  these  crude  beginnings  may 
not  at  first  seem  well  spent  for  us  Parents  of  to-day. 
But  psychologists  are  telling  us  that  the  child  must 
go  through  the  same  "  Culture  Epochs  "  (so  clearly 
defined  in  our  Introduction),  as  the  race  has  gone 
through.  With  that  thought  in  our  minds,  is  it 
not  instructive,  even  for  Parents,  to  throw  a  search- 
light over  educational  beginnings?  Does  it  not  at 
least  tend  to  make  us  patient  and  submissive  over 
the  elementary  ways  of  our  children?  Por,  surely, 
if  the  greatest  ruler  of  his  time,  in  council  with  the 
wise  men  of  his  realm,  no  farther  back  than  a 
thousand  years,  aimed  to  establish  a  "  more  excellent 
Athens  "  on  such  mental  diet  as  that  with  which 
Alcuin  satisfied  Charlemagne  and  the  pupils  of  his 
court  schools,  then  are  we  not  encouraged  to  regard 
with  sympathy  and  patience  the  exceedingly  rudi- 
mentary ways  of  our  little  barbarians,  and  their  in- 
tense interest  in  trivialities?  I  well  remember  how, 
years  ago,  we  youngsters  of  the  Boston  High  School 
used  to  wage  hot  warfare  over  the  old  school-men's 


14  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

questions:  "Could  God  make  two  mountains  with- 
out a  valley  between?  "  "  Could  he  locate  a  million 
angels  on  the  point  of  a  needle?  "  "  Could  he  have 
in  his  universe  two  irresistible  forces?" 

Vital  questions  these!  If  he  could  not  do  these 
things  where  was  his  omnipotence?  And  if  he 
could — well,  it  was  plain  that  he  couldn't,  for  they 
couldn't  be  done!  And  yet?  And  so  the  cycle  of 
reasoning  began  all  over  again.  Childish?  Cer- 
tainly; we  were  passing  through  the  Charlemagne 
age,  were  we  not?  My  dear  old  mother  has  often 
told  me  that  such  littlenesses  were  quite  necessary 
to  the  right  development  of  children's  minds.  It  has 
evidently  been  necessary  for  the  Race  as  well!  How 
those  old  Christian  theologians  of  the  fourth  cen- 
tury, in  their  fierce  factions,  waged  triangular  war- 
fare on  the  ecclesiastical  battle-field,  the  Homo- 
ousians  maintaining  that  Christ  was  of  the  same 
substance  as  the  Father,  the  Homoiousians  that  he 
was  of  similar  substance  as  the  Father,  and  the 
Heteroousians  that  he  was  of  a  different  substance 
from  the  Father! 

By  all  means  let  us  allow  our  children  to  pass 
comfortably  through  as  many  of  the  "  Culture 
Epochs  "  as  is  necessary  for  their  full  development. 
With    love    and    tenderness    all    about   them,    and 


STILL   FARTHER    BACK  15 

schools  and  churches,  and  modern  civilisation  gen- 
erally, we  do  not  see  how  they  can  be  expected  to 
get  at  things  exactly  as  poor,  unassisted  Human 
Eace  had  to  do  it;  nevertheless,  it  is  a  comfort  to 
have  in  reserve  this  theory,  which  shall  reassure 
us,  in  their  seasons  of  mental  and  moral  lapses.  We 
can  say  to  ourselves,  "  This  is  but  the  tooth-and- 
claw  age;  they'll  soon  be  out  of  it."  Or,  "  This  is 
but  the  Dark  Age  of  self-centred  animalism;  we 
have  only  to  hopefully  liurry  them  on  to  the  Modern 
Age  of  intellect  and  ethics,"  recalling  the  fact  that 
in  the  earliest  stages,  self-preservation  was  the  first 
law  of  Nature,  and  that  the  most  vigorous  in  self- 
protection  had  a  promise  in  him  beyond  his  fellows. 
And, — mournfully  I  admit  it, — I  have  observed 
again  and  again,  concerning  this  law,  and  the  law 
of  "  Natural  Selection,"  that  things  often  do  seem 
to  come  out,  as  an  old  nurse  of  mine  used  to  say, 
"  'cordin'  tew."  Some  little  lawless,  but  vigorous 
savage  of  a  boy,  seemingly  all  animal,  develops,  for 
our  discouragement,  into  a  fine  doctor  or  lawyer,  or 
even  minister  of  the  Gospel,  while  his  "  good,"  more 
restrained  comrade  winds  up — a  nonentity,  or 
worse. 

We  hear   a  good   deal   about   mental   precocity. 
Moral  precocity  is  as  dangerous  a  disease  in  child- 


16  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

hood  as  mental  precocity.  No  precocity,  indeed,  is 
wholly  to  be  trusted.  Children  ought  not  to  know 
enough  to  be  too  good.  When  the  ten-year-old  son 
of  a  friend  of  ours  announced  to  us  that  he  meant 
to  be  a  minister  we  were  pleased.  But  when,  on 
being  asked  his  reason  for  that  decision,  he  replied 
with  fervour,  "Because  I  love  religion,"  I  felt  that 
there  was  no  hope  for  him  in  this  world  unless 
some  gang  of  bad  boys — of  the  T.  B.  Aldrich 
calibre,  be  it  understood — should  get  hold  of  him 
and  straighten  him  out  into  healthy  boyhood.  A 
dirty  boy  lying  on  his  stomach  by  the  brookside, 
devouring  a  dirty  apple  from  his  dirty  right  hand, 
and  from  his  left  a  thumb-soiled  story  of  Captain 
Kidd,  the  one  with  as  lusty  appetite  as  the  other, 
is,  I  do  most  honestly  believe  it,  more  probably  on 
the  road  toward  the  presidency  of  a  college  or  of  a 
mercantile  association,  than  your  immaculate, 
daintily-attired,  governess-attended  little  nabob, 
doing— not  much  of  anything.  Frankly,  is  he  not 
more  likely  to  grow  up  manly,  truthful,  courageous, 
and  even  chivalrous?  It  is  a  pity  that  rich  people 
— some  rich  people — cannot  be  forced  to  give  their 
children  the  advantages  of  poverty!  Fortunately 
there  is  that  "  middle  course,"  which  the  old  Greeks 
declared  the  best.     I  know  of  one  man  who  had  a 


STILL   FARTHER   BACK  17 

man  nurse  for  his  little  boys.  His  orders  were  to 
"  let  them  go  wherever  they  please,  and  do  whatever 
they  like,  provided  they  do  not  come  to  harm  or 
get  into  serious  mischief!  " 

But  we  are  wandering!  Let  us  return  to  our 
brief  history  of  Modern  Education. 

Modem  Education,  inaugurated  by  Charlemagne, 
took,  after  the  manner  of  the  Old  Testament  patri- 
archs, several  centuries  for  its  childhood  and  youth. 
It  may  be  said  to  have  arrived  at  majority  in  the 
splendidly  organised,  kindly,  but  soul-suppressing 
schools  of  the  Jesuits.  The  really  Modern  Educa- 
tion,— Charlemagne's  University  was  but  an  an- 
cient beginning  of  Modern  Education, — was  a  re- 
volt, Protestant,  secular,  or  both,  from  these  Jesuit 
schools.  Limited  as  is  our  space,  we  must  pause 
for  a  very  brief  glimpse  of  the  most  interesting 
story  of  Education  up  to  the  time  of  this  revolt. 

For  many  centuries  after  Alcuin's  university. 
Education  went  on  with  many  and  varying  fortunes 
under  the  guidance  of  the  Church,  as  did  everything 
else.  But  when  Luther  appeared  upon  the  scene, 
trailing  the  Protestant  Reformation  after  him,  the 
children  of  the  Reformers  must  not,  of  course,  any 
more  attend  the  Romish  schools.  The  fiery  Luther, 
once  under  full  headway  as  a  reformer,  was  a  Re- 


18  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

former  to  the  heart's  core.  He  hurled  missiles, 
right  and  left,  against  any  "  devils  "  in  the  path  of 
reform,  with  as  undaunted  a  spirit  as  he  hurled  hig 
inkstand  at  the  person  of  the  original  Devil  him- 
self, who,  he  believed,  came  into  his  presence 
bodily,  to  tempt  him.  Of  course  there  must  be 
Protestant  Schools!  The  children  must  be  saved. 
Luther's  Essay  on  Education  is  an  interesting  docu- 
ment: 

"  Married  people  should  know  that  they  can  per- 
form no  better  and  no  more  useful  work  for  God, 
Christianity,  the  world,  themselves,  and  their  chil- 
dren than  by  bringing  up  their  children  well.  .  .  . 
Hell  cannot  be  more  easily  deserved,  and  no  more 
hurtful  work  can  be  done,  than  by  neglecting  chil- 
dren, letting  them  swear,  learn  shameful  words  and 
songs,  and  do  as  they  please." 

Protestant  schools  sprang  up  to  meet  Luther's 
appeal.  With  the  co-operation  of  men  like  Melanc- 
thon,  Erasmus,  and  the  Electors  of  Saxony  and  Wur- 
temburg,  these  schools  could  not  fail  to  become  a 
power.  The  Protestants  triumphantly  established 
schools  and  founded  and  reorganised  several  univer- 
sities. "  For  the  first  time  in  Germany,"  writes 
James  E.  Russell,  in  his  Oerman  Higher  Sdiools, 
"  schools  were  provided  for  all  the  people  and  in  a 


STILL   FARTHER   BACK  19 

series  that  permitted  of  orderly  progression  from 
the  elementary  grades  to  the  universities.  And 
here  was  the  real  beginning  of  the  common  schools 
of  Germany." 

Being  familiar  with  the  law  of  action  and  re- 
action, we  shall  know  what  next  to  expect.  The 
Catholic  Church  was  not  of  a  character  to  look  idly 
on  at  this  undoing  of  her  centuries  of  work.  It 
was  just  at  this  point  that  Ignatius  Loyola,  with  all 
the  zeal  of  Holy  Church  in  that  age,  bestirred  him- 
self and  gave  his  wonderful  personality  to  the  stem- 
ming of  this  widespreading  success  of  its  arch- 
enemy. The  result  was  the  world-famous  Jesuit 
Schools,  the  revolt  from  which,  as  I  have  said  above, 
may  be  regarded  as  the  true  beginning  of  Modern 
Education.  "  It  is  safe  to  say,"  writes  Mr.  Russell, 
"  that  the  world  over  has  never  seen  a  more  power- 
ful religious  order  than  this  society  of  the  Jesuits." 
But  they  paid  their  enemy  the  compliment  of 
"borrowing  the  devil's  artillery  to  fight  the  devil 
with.  And  they  used  it  to  good  effect."  They 
modelled  their  schools  on  the  well-studied-out  plans 
of  the  Protestants.  The  one  idea  in  these  schools 
was  "  Authority."  No  words  can  express  too 
strongly  the  utter  subjection  to  Authority,  in  which 
their  pupils  seem  to  have  been  always  held.     The 


20  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

interesting  article  upon  the  Jesuit  schools  in  the 
Encyclopsedia  Britannica  says: 

"  The  Jesuit  polity  is  almost  a  pure  despotism. 
'  The  sacrifice  of  the  intellect,'  a  familiar  Jesuit 
watchword,  is  the  third  and  highest  grade  of  obedi- 
ence, well-pleasing  to  God,  when  the  inferior  not 
only  wills  what  the  superior  wills,  but  thinks  what 
he  thinks,"  etc. 

One  of  the  maxims  oftenest  quoted  to  which  the 
student  subscribes  is  this: 

"  I  ought  to  be  like  a  corpse,  which  has  neither 
will  nor  understanding,  or  like  a  small  crucifix, 
which  is  turned  about  at  the  will  of  him  who  holds 
it,  or  like  a  staff  in  the  hands  of  an  old  man,  who 
uses  it  as  best  may  assist  or  please  him." 

I  know  that  there  are  even  to-day,  reverent 
friends  and  admirers  of  the  Jesuits,  who  believe 
that  the  yielding  of  the  will  to  superiors  in  no 
manner  interferes  with  the  freedom  of  development 
in  education.  The  story  of  the  Jesuits  by  the  Eev. 
Thomas  Hughes,  edited  by  so  eminent  an  authority 
as  Nicholas  Murray  Butler,  fills  one  with  a  deep 
desire  that  judgment  upon  the  Jesuits  shall  not 
be  a  one-sided  one.  Nevertheless,  "  six  grades " 
of  this  sort  of  obedience  to  their  Order,  passed 
through  by  its  students,  should  prepare  the  mind 


STILL   FARTHER  BACK  21 

of  even  so  friendly  a  historian  as  Father  Hughes, 
for  ultimate  catastrophe.  The  Order,  refusing 
obedience  to  the  Pope,  became  "  dangerous "  to 
Holy  Church,  itself.  Father  Hughes  should  not 
marvel  that  "  a  scene  of  such  a  kind  as  has  seldom 
occurred  in  history "  at  last  took  place,  in  the 
"  universal  and  instantaneous  suppression  of  the 
Order,"  and  that  by  a  manifesto  of  its  own  church. 
The  Order,  itself,  was  of  such  a  kind  as  has  "  seldom 
occurred  in  history"!  There  should  be  surprise, 
rather,  that  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  years  of 
such  absolute  sway  should  have  gone  on,  before  the 
end  came. 

Leaving  aside  the  Jesuit  Schools,  the  story  of 
Education,  from  Luther's  time  down  to  the  present 
day,  has  been  the  story  of  a  succession  of  noble- 
minded  men  who,  believing  in  the  god-like  possi- 
bilities wrapped  up  within  each  individual  child, 
have  striven  for  the  highest  possible  means  of 
enabling  the  child  to  attain  them.  Almost  at  the 
head  of  this  long  and  honourable  list  stands  the  name 
of  that  celebrated  Bohemian  exile,  Comenius.  Of 
all  the  wonderful  searchers  after  Nature's  methods 
in  Education,  none  was  more  wonderful  than  he. 
For  us  Americans  there  is  a  romance  about  him 
which  none   of  the   others  possess   on  account  of 


22  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

Cotton  Mather's  story,  that  "  that  brave  old  Man, 
Johannes  Amos  Comeniiis,"  was  invited  hy  "  our 
Mr.  Winthrop,  in  his  Travels  through  the  Low 
Countries,  to  come  over  into  New  England,  and 
Illuminate  this  College  and  Country,  in  the  quality 
of  a  President:  But  the  Solicitations  of  a  Swedish 
Ambassador,  diverting  him  another  way,  that  in- 
comparable Moravian  became  not  an  American." 

Probably  no  one  believes  that  Comenius  was 
seriously  invited  to  become  the  President  of  our 
young  Harvard  College.  Still,  it  is  not  difficult  to 
fancy  that  perhaps  our  wise  Governor  Winthrop, 
meeting  the  fascinating  educator,  did  have  a  long- 
ing to  procure  his  services  for  his  beloved  In- 
stituti^)n  of  Learning.  "Why  not?  Every'body  else 
who  had  any  educational  work  to  do  wanted  Co- 
meniui^!  Why  not  Governor  Winthrop?  At  all 
events,  the  very  rumour  helps  to  take  that  proces- 
sion of  educators  out  of  Phantom-land,  and  makes 
them  seem  more  like  actual  and  living  men. 

The  aim  of  this  ambitious  man  was  to  teach  chil- 
dren— simply  everything!  He  was  the  first  to  in- 
culcate the  principle  that  education  begins  at  the 
mother's  knee.  Of  a  set  of  text-books  planned  for 
the  use  of  schoolboys,  the  first,  intended  for  boys 
in  their  seventh  year,  is  "  The  Violet-bed  of  the 


STILL   FARTHER   BACK  23 

Christian  Youth,  containing  the  pleasantest 
flowerets  of  scholastic  instruction."  The  second  is, 
"  The  Kose-bed  of  the  Christian  Youth,  containing 
Nosegays  of  the  most  fragrant  Flowers  of  Knowl- 
edge ";  for  the  third  year,  "  The  Garden  of  Let- 
ters and  of  Wisdom,"  which  contains  a  pleasantly 
written  account  of  "  everything  necessary  to  be  known 
in  heaven  and  earth " !  His  twelve  chapters  on 
Physics  begin  with  "  I.  Sketch  of  the  creation  of 
the  world,"  and  end  with  "XI.  Of  Man,"  and 
"  XII.  Of  Angels."  Ever  longing  to  be  occupied 
with  writing  his  historical  and  philosophical  works, 
he  nevertheless  keeps  at  this  text-book  writing,  dur- 
ing all  his  exile  wanderings.  It  well  may  need  a 
life-time  to  write  a  "  Pansophia/'  all  wisdom. 

There  have  been,  certainly,  in  all  ages,  perceiving 
spirits  who  have  instinctively  revolted  from  soul- 
suppressing  methods  in  dealing  with  children;  but 
it  was,  perhaps,  more  than  any  other,  the  "  Great 
John  Locke,"  quoted  in  our  dedication,  who,  by  his 
Thoughts  on  Education,  set  the  ball  of  universal 
revolt  a-rolling,  to  which  Eousseau's  Emile  com- 
municated an  almost  infinite  momentum.  Locke 
was  greatly  indebted,  of  course,  to  Montaigne  and 
Bacon,  and  to  many  others,  but  his  Thoughts  on 
Education    has    been    styled    the    "  First    English 


24  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

Classic  on  Education."  Locke  was  a  reasoner. 
He  would  render  you  a  reason  for  everything;  and 
he  convinced  many,  not  only  in  England,  but  in 
other  countries.  We  read  of  our  own  Josiah  Quincy, 
in  his  life  by  his  son,  the  following  passage: 

"  Locke  was  the  great  authority  on  all  subjects 
which  he  touched,  and,  in  conformity  with  some 
suggestions  of  his,  as  my  father  supposed,  Mrs. 
Quincy  caused  her  son,  when  not  more  than  three 
years  old,  to  be  taken  from  his  warm  bed,  in  winter 
as  well  as  in  summer,  and  carried  down  to  a  cellar 
kitchen  and  there  dipped  three  times  in  a  tub  of 
water  cold  from  the  pump.  She  also  brought  him 
up  in  utter  indifference  to  wet  feet, — usually  the 
terror  of  anxious  mammas, — in  which  he  used  to 
say  that  he  sat  more  than  half  the  time  during 
his  boyhood,  and  without  suffering  any  ill  conse- 
quences. This  practice  he  also  conceived  to  be  in 
obedience  to  some  suggestion  of  the  bachelor  phi- 
losopher." 

John  Locke's  reasoning,  however,  never  aroused 
the  educational  world  from  torpor  to  activity.  His 
book  was  read  and  complacently  applauded.  It  won 
him  consideration.  But  all  went  on  much  as  be- 
fore. Have  you  not  often  observed  that  reason, 
while    it   convinces,   seldom   influences   actual   con- 


STILL   FARTHER   BACK  25 

duct?  You  wag  your  head  gravely  and  respond, 
"  True;  true;  it  is  undoubtedly  true."  And  then, 
after  a  moment's  complimentary,  respectful  silence, 
you  add  jauntily,  "  But  never  mind!  We  won't  stop 
to  bother  this  time!  "  And  you  go  on  in  your  old 
way.  That  is  just  what  happened  in  the  case  of 
John  Locke.  The  world  read  his  book, — it's  worth 
an  annual  reading, — and  was  convinced,  but  it 
didn't  "  bother."  It  was  the  passion,  the  human- 
ness  of  Rousseau's  teachings,  and  probably,  more 
than  all,  the  story  of  a  life  illustrating  them,  that 
set  the  educational  world  a-bothering. 

Eousseau  died  in  1778.  It  would  be  most  de- 
lightful to  linger,  if  for  ever  so  short  a  time,  over 
the  story  of  the  growth  and  development  of  this 
New  Education  during  the  century  and  a  quarter 
which  has  since  elapsed,  during  which  time,  almost, 
if  not  quite,  every  popular  educational  scheme  has 
been  founded  on  the  principles  embodied  in  Eous- 
seau's  Emile.  Inspiring  it  would  be  to  the  thought- 
ful Parent  to  commune  with  some  of  the  wisest  in 
that  procession  of  reformers,  who  passed  on  the 
torch  through  all  these  years,  each  adding  to  the 
brilliance  of  it,  the  lustre  of  his  own  individual 
light.  Fascinating  it  would  be  to  dwell  for  a  time 
on  the  sad  enthusiasm  of  the  good,  incompetently 


26  PEDAGOGUES  AND   PARENTS 

competent  Pestalozzi,  genius  of  the  cumulative 
method;  to  dream  for  a  while  with  the  dreamy 
Froebel,  genius  of  infancy  and  of  symbolism,  and 
father  of  the  ethereal  kindergarten;  to  visit  the 
schools  of  the  rugged  Basedow,  the  "  Object-lesson  " 
genius,  who  brings  into  his  school  the  prospective 
mother  (whether  living  specimen  or  by  picture  I 
forget),  as  "  object "  for  his  lesson  with  his  boys  on 
filial  piety.  During  the  last  score  of  years  a  num- 
ber of  interesting  accounts  of  the  thoughts  and  say- 
ings and  doings  of  these  devoted  educators  have 
been  published  for  the  benefit  of  teachers.  Parents, 
interested  in  the  subject  of  Education,  will  find 
some  of  them  profitable  and  interesting  reading. 
Concerning  Emile,  an  abridged  edition  is,  perhaps, 
better  for  the  average  reader,  the  portions  omitted 
being,  for  the  most  part,  only  the  tiresome  philoso- 
phisings  with  which  Eousseau  did  too  truly  mar  his 
work. 

It  is  one  of  my  most  cherished  hopes  that  the 
Story  of  Education  will  one  day  be  written  in  a 
manner  especially  to  interest  Parents;  drawing  for 
them  from  the  struggles  of  the  past,  valuable  les- 
sons for  the  present.  No  one  dreams  of  calling 
himself  thoroughly  equipped  in  Law,  Medicine,  Di- 
vinity,   Science,    Commerce,    Political    Economy, 


STILL   FARTHER   BACK  27 

Statesmanship,  or  any  other  department  of  useful- 
ness, without  gathering  up  the  accumulated  wisdom 
of  the  past,  as  a  starting  point  for  his  education; 
without,  in  a  word,  knowing  something  of  the  his- 
tory of  his  chosen  profession.  Why  should  it  be 
otherwise  with  so  important  a  profession  as  Educa- 
tion? And  it  will  go  without  saying  in  this  book, 
that  whoever  indulges  in  the  luxury  of  children, 
enters  that  profession.  Moreover,  it  will  be  main- 
tained, from  start  to  finish,  in  this  work,  that  the 
Parent  and  not  the  Pedagogue,  is  the  chief 
Educator. 

Companionship  with  these  zealous  reformers 
along  the  line  of  education,  should  be  an  inspira- 
tion to  parent  and  to  teacher;  when  indulged  in 
with  sympathetic  abandon,  it  cannot  fail  to  arouse 
an  attitude  of  mind  charitably  observant  of  the 
motives  which  govern  the  mental  and  moral  gyra- 
tions of  the  human  spirit,  especially  in  childhood; 
cannot  fail  to  stir  up  an  interest  in  the  vital  sources 
of  education.  They  give  you,  these  Eeformers,  the 
sensation  of  being  in  the  company  of  reposeless, 
soul-unsatisfied  people.  Busy  they  were  in  their 
day,  in  eager  pursuit  of  Nature's  Method  of  dealing 
with  her  children.  They  sacrificed  life  and  fortune 
in  the  search,  even  as  many  restless  explorers  of 


28  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

Columbus'  time,  sacrificed  all  in  feverish  search  for 
the  Fountain  of  Perpetual  Youth. 

Well,  they  were  Reformers!  Was  there  ever  a 
serene,  calm-minded  reformer?  We  are  creatures 
of  ideals,  all  of  us.  Most  of  us  pursue  our  ideals 
silently:  a  reformer  is  one  of  us  who  cannot  be 
silent. 


Ill 

"NEW  EDUCATION"  IN  NEW  ENGLAND 

"  Old  Europe  groans  with  palaces, 

Has  lords  enough  and  more  ; 
We  plant  and  build  by  foaming  seas 

A  city  of  the  poor; 
For  day  by  day  could  Boston  Bay 
Their  honest  labour  overpay. 

We  grant  no  dukedoms  to  the  few, 
We  hold  like  rights,  and  shall ; 

Equal  on  Sunday  in  the  pew, 
On  Monday  in  the  mall. 

For  what  avail  the  plough  or  sail, 

Or  land  or  life,  if  freedom  fail?  " 

—Emerson. 

The  "  New  Education "  entered  our  country 
through  the  gate-way  of  Boston,  our  "  American 
Athens,"  vaunted  centre  of  culture  and  education. 
It  came  in  the  form  of  the  Kindergarten,  bright, 
sparkling,  effervescent,  pure  as  a  crystal  spring. 
Froebel's  dream  was  realised.  His  gospel  of  in- 
fancy, with  the  sacredness  of  childhood  for  its 
inspiring  truth,  had  turned  its  back  upon  the 
Old  World,  where  it  had  been  frowned  upon  by 


30  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

caste  and  by  the  pride  of  royalty  and  aristocracy. 
It  had  come,  according  to  Froebel's  last  wish,  to  this 
ISTew  World  democracy,  where  all  are  supposed  to  be 
born  free  and  equal.  This  idealised  America  was 
the  one  and  only  country  on  earth  where  he  believed 
that  his  ideals  could  have  opportunity  to  grow  to 
full  fruition.  It  is  well  known  how,  after  the  Eev- 
olution,  European  eyes  turned  longingly  toward 
this  over-the-sea  infant  republic  where,  for  the  first 
time  in  modern  history,  ideal  freedom  was  being 
enjoyed  on  a  large  scale.  Surely,  this  was  the  very 
soil  upon  which  to  sow  the  seeds  of  a  New  Educa- 
tion of  which  freedom  for  individual  development 
was  the  quickening  power.  It  does  credit  to  Froe- 
bel's sagacity  that  he  left  his  heirs  inspired  with 
the  duty  and  necessity  of  transplanting  his  beloved 
Kindergarten  to  America. 

It  is  sorrowful  to  relate,  however,  that  the 
Kindergarten  did  not  meet  with  the  reception  in 
cultivated  Boston,  which  would  have  given  joy  to 
the  expectant  heart  of  Froebel.  Emerging  from 
the  cold,  reluctant  sunshine  of  European  royalty, 
it  entered  into  the  colder  electric  light  of  the  "  cul- 
tured aristocracy  "  of  Boston,  which  had  a  money- 
to-burn  desire  for  a  perfect  education  of  its  chil- 
dren— its  own  particular  children.    Some  went  even 


"  NEW   EDUCATION  "   IN   NEW   ENGLAND     31 

so  far  as  to  attempt  to  secure  the  benefit  of  this 
Ifew  Education  in  the  privacy  of  the  home  nursery. 
I  was  acquainted  with  one  mother  who  actually 
tried,  by  lavish  offers  of  money,  to  induce  a  kinder- 
gartner  to  come  to  her  home  "  after  hours  "  and 
give  "the  gist  of  it"  to  her  one  little  boy!  The 
gist  of  it!  That  very  gist  of  it  is  loving  comrade- 
ship with  others,  and  unselfish  adjustment  to  them! 
My  well-beloved  native  city  amply  deserves  her  title 
of  "  American  Athens."  She  is  open-minded  to- 
ward high  ideals  in  religion,  music,  politics,  social 
ethics,  education;  but  she  did  not  do  herself  proud 
when  the  New  Education  came  from  over  sea,  con- 
fident that  her  latch-string  would  be  out  to  it. 
Some  have  even  dared  to  imply  that  the  freer  West 
would  have  given  it  a  more  hospitable  reception. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  Boston  seemed  to  be  passing 
through  a  phase — a  "  Culture  Epoch "  possibly. 
Whatever  it  was,  she  was  in  an  attitude  little  favour- 
able for  the  reception  of  a  joyous,  jubilant  thing 
like  Froebel's  Kindergarten.  The  "  cultured "  of 
Boston  did  really  seem  at  that  time,  under  a  spell 
of  fear  lest  enthusiasm  were  a  defilement  to  re- 
spectability, even  to  religion  and  education.  "  Ee- 
pose  in  all  things  "  was  the  watchword.  A  body  of 
clergymen  in  and  around  Boston  actually  discussed. 


32  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

through  the  whole  of  one  of  their  sessions,  the  ques- 
tion "  Is  enthusiasm  consistent  with  Pure  Eeli- 
gion?"  and  I  could  never  find  out  that  those 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  afterwards  felt  ashamed  of 
the  fact.  Speaking  of  it  to  a  friend,  in  expectation 
of  sympathy  with  my  disturbed  feelings,  I  received 
the  simple  reply,  "  Well,  is  it,  do  you  think  ?  " 

Let  the  Boston  "  Brahmin  Caste "  eliminate  en- 
thusiasm from  religion  and  from  life,  if  so  they  elect, 
but  fancy  childhood  without  enthusiasm!  Childhood 
is  enthusiasm!  Enthusiasm,  if  we  may  trust  ac- 
counts, was  the  very  breath  of  life  of  the  Kinder- 
garten when  the  grave,  philosophical  Froebel 
left  his  stud}^  and  became  the  gay,  Hessian- 
booted,  beplumed  centre  of  his  happy  children. 
And  enthusiasm  was  of  course  to  be  admitted  into 
the  Boston  Kindergarten;  Froebel  had  so  decreed  it! 
The  time  allotted  to  it,  if  I  remember  correctly,  was 
from  10  to  10.30  and  from  11.30  to  13,  always,  of 
course,  being  duly  regulated!  "  H-a-v-e  a  1-i-t- 
t-l-e  m-o-r-e  a-n-i-m-a-t-i-o-n "  reposefully  exhorted 
the  master  of  one  of  the  advanced  kindergartens. 
Even  he,  himself,  felt  the  muffledness  of  things.  At 
the  blackboard  a  small  boy,  with  a  worried  look  on 
his  little  face,  was  doing  an  example  for  the  learning 
of  short  division  and  subtraction: 


"  NEW    EDUCATION  "    IN    NEW   ENGLAND      33 

"  If  one-sixth  of  a  certain  quartz  rock  is  pure 
silex  and  the  rest  is  native  oxide  of  silicon,  how 
much  of  each  is  there  in  1,863,605  pounds  of  the 
quartz?  " 

Does  not  every  one  know  that  the  New  Education 
teaches  abstract  processes  through  concrete  applica- 
tions? So  the  master  reminded  us.  Was  this  a 
flower  of  Froebel's  sowing?  We  longed  to  send  the 
little  victim  into  the  open  air  for  a  bit,  to  brush  the 
cobwebs  from  his  brain,  and  then  to  tumble  him 
down  somewhere,  care-free,  to  do  a  lot  of  examples 
in  short  division  till  he  should  feel  proud  masterj'^ 
of  them.  One  thing  at  a  time.  It  is  as  much  a 
natural  method  to  make  and  sharpen  your  tools 
before  you  go  to  work  as  it  is  to  do  it  while  you  are 
working.     He  was  so  very  small! 

It  is  to  the  credit  of  human  nature  in  general, 
and  of  Boston  human  nature  in  particular,  that 
these  first  unnatural  "  natural  "  methods  did  not 
score  a  success.  ISTot  until  the  truth  dawned  that 
the  Kindergarten  was  the  evangel  of  all  childhood, 
and  that  enthusiasm  and  free  activity  were  the  basic 
facts  of  it,  did  the  Kindergarten  score  any  success 
in  Boston  or  elsewhere.  Nor  may  we  ever,  indeed, 
hope  to  achieve  brilliant  success  in  the  culture  of 
young  children,  where  these  twin  principles  are  not 


34  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

recognised  as  foundational, — enthusiasm  and  the 
democracy  of  childhood.  Boston,  as  I  have  inti- 
mated, was  not  at  that  time  in  a  mental  attitude  to 
prize  these  qualities  at  their  proper  valuation.  She 
thereby  lost  a  glorious  opportunity.  It  is  Quincy, 
an  adjoining  town,  to  which  must  be  accorded  the 
honour  of  having  become  the  "  New  Education " 
centre.  This  town  it  was,  which  caught  up  the 
beautiful  Nature-methods  of  the  "  New  Education," 
and  got  itself,  almost  in  a  day,  so  influential  as  to 
very  nearly,  if  not  quite,  revolutionise  the  manner 
of  teaching  throughout  the  country. 

Mr.  C.  F.  Adams,  in  Three  Episodes  of  Massa- 
chusetts History,  has  given  a  short  but  graphic  ac- 
count of  the  "  New  Departure "  in  Quincy.  He 
writes: 

"  The  average  graduate  of  the  Grammar  School 
in  1870  could  not  read  with  ease,  nor  could  he  write 
an  ordinary  letter  in  a  legible  hand  and  with  words 
spelled  correctly. 

"  Boys  were  no  longer  compelled  by  way  of  pun- 
ishment to  clasp  each  other's  hands  across  the  top  of 
an  overheated  stove  until  holes  were  burned  in  their 
clothes;  nor,  supplied  with  raw-hides,  were  they 
made  to  whip  each  other,  while  the  master  stood 
over   them   and   himself   whipped    that    one    who 


"  NEW   EDUCATION  "    IN    NEW   ENGLAND      35 

seemed  to  slacken  his  blows.  Scenes  like  these, 
worthy  of  Dotheboys'  Hall,  were  reminiscences  of 
the  past.  But  there  was  no  reason  to  suppose  that 
the  children,  when  they  left  school,  read  more 
fluently,  or  wrote  more  legibly,  or  computed  with 
more  facility  than  had  their  fathers  and  mothers 
before  them.  .  .  .  The  whole  thing  needed  to  be  re- 
formed." 

Mr.  Adams'  statements  are  reinforced  by  the 
testimony  of  many;  in  Scudder's  biography  of 
Lowell  we  read  that  Mr.  Wells,  a  noted  Latin 
teacher  of  the  time  of  Lowell's  boyhood,  always 
"  heard  a  recitation  with  the  book  in  his  left  hand 
and  a  rattan  in  his  right,  and  if  the  boy  made  a 
false  quantity  or  did  not  know  the  meaning  of  a 
word,  down  came  the  rattan  on  his  head."  In  A 
New  England  Boyhood,  Dr.  Edward  Everett  Hale, 
with  his  usual  directness,  wTites  of  his  school 
years: 

"  There  was  not  a  public  school  of  any  lower 
grade  [than  the  Boston  Latin  School]  to  which  my 
father  would  have  sent  me  any  more  than  he  would 
have  sent  me  to  jail." 
And  again: 

"  There  was  constant  talk  of  '  hiding '  and 
*  thrashing.'      Why    the    Boston    people    tolerated 


36  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

such  brutality  ...  I  do  not  know  and  never 
have  known^  but  no  change  came  for  many  years 
after." 

It  is  no  marvel  that,  even  after  the  elimination 
of  physical  brutality,  such  a  condition  of  things 
should  at  last  come  up  against  a  demand  for  a 
reckoning.  This  reckoning  was  demanded  in  that 
"  New  Departure  "  of  1870  in  a  manner  not  to  be 
evaded.  There  is  but  one  thing  to  be  regretted  in 
Mr.  Adams'  account  of  the  "  Quincy  System," 
namely,  the  suppression  of  his  own  active  part  in 
the  movement.  Mr.  Adams  was,  indeed,  chairman 
of  the  Quincy  School  Committee  at  the  time,  and 
it  was  to  himself,  perhaps,  more  than  to  any  one 
else  that  was  due  the  dissatisfaction  with  the  schools 
which  culminated  in  the  "  New  Departure."  So 
conscious  were  we  all  of  this  at  the  time,  that  when 
Mr.  James  H.  Slade,  to  whom  Mr.  Adams  refers  in 
his  account,  was  once  asked  how  many  there  were 
on  the  committee,  he  quite  expressed  the  public 
feeling  when  he  answered  promptly,  "  10,000, — 1 
and  four  zeroes,"  and  then,  with  enthusiasm,  showed 
how  it  was  from  Mr.  Adams  that  the  whole  thing 
received  and  retained  its  momentum;  albeit  Mr. 
Slade  himself,  if  the  story  be  told  by  any  other,  was 
no  zero.     He  was,  indeed,  the  one  who,  as  secretary 


"  NEW  EDUCATION  "  IN  NEW  ENGLAND  37 

of  the  committee,  discovered  and  installed  Colonel 
Parker  as  head  of  the  movement. 

Just  what  was  this  famous  "New  Departure"? 
It  was  simply  this, — a  whole  Xew  England  town, 
rich  and  poor,  learned  and  ignorant,  doctors,  law- 
yers, ministers,  school-teachers  and  parents,  all 
alike  were  set  ablaze  over  the  one  project  of  rooting 
out  of  schools  the  old  method  of  "  cramming,"  and 
putting  in  place  of  it  the  idea  of  developing  the 
faculties  of  the  pupils;  of  teaching  by  "Nature's 
Method."  In  the  shops,  in  the  home,  on  the  train, 
in  the  pulpit,  in  society,  the  best-discussed  subject 
was  the  schools.  For  Colonel  Parker,  whom  the 
"  committee  of  10,000  "  had  set  to  lead  and  guide 
the  movement,  was,  as  Mr.  Adams  naively  puts  it, 
"  A  man  possessed  in  a  marked  degree  with  the  in- 
describable quality  of  attracting  public  notice  to 
what  he  was  doing." 

Colonel  Parker  had  travelled  in  Germany  for  the 
purpose  of  studying  the  school  systems  there,  and 
was  full  to  overflowing  of  the  idea  which  had  been 
the  inspiration  and  rallying  cry  of  that  long  line  of 
educational  reformers  following  Eousseau,  namely, 
the  idea  of  teaching  by  "Nature's  Method,"  as 
opposed  to  rule  and  rote  teaching;  developing  rather 
than  cramming.      They  dwelt  caressingly  on  the 


38  PEDAGOGUES  AND   PARENTS 

Latin  origin  of  the  word  education,  from  c  and 
duco, — a  leading  forth. 

Here  was  dethroned  enthusiasm  come  again  to  its 
own!  All  was  life,  stir,  noise.  Not  any  more  could 
"  Eepose  in  all  things  "  be  the  watchword.  Half  a 
dozen  watchwords,  veritable  war-cries  they  were, 
sprang  into  use  simultaneously.  Chief  among  them 
was  "  Natural  Method,"  which  is  the  one  that  has 
survived,  although  at  the  time  the  movement  was 
called  the  "  New  Departure,"  and  the  "  Quincy 
System." 

"  Away  with  the  grammar!  "  "  Away  with  the 
spelling-book!"  "  Away  with  all  books!  "  "There 
has  been  enough  of  books!  And  words!  and  com- 
mitting to  memory!  "  Members  of  Colonel  Parker's 
psychology  class  were  objects  of  envy,  and  every  one 
was  examining  himself  to  discover  if  he  knew  how  to 
make  "  mental  pictures,"  the  one  performance  in 
which  the  teachers  were  to  perfect  themselves  and 
their  pupils.  A  whole  new  educational  vocabulary 
was  swiftly  developed.  Grammar  became  "  Lan- 
guage Lessons."  Arithmetic,  "  Number  Lessons," 
all  oral  or  from  the  blackboard.  There  were  but- 
tons, and  shoe-pegs,  and  little  sticks,  and  flags,  for 
*'  busy-work ";  "  study "  being  one  of  the  words 
ruled  out.     Quincy  teachers,  to  their  credit,  rallied 


"  NEW   EDUCATION  "    IN    NEW   ENGLAND     39 

enthusiastically  about  the  Colonel's  standard.  One 
of  them^  Mrs.  Follett,  who,  with  native  instinct, 
caught  the  spirit  of  these  new  ideals  from  the  very 
start,  might  with  much  justice  be  called  the  true 
author  of  the  beginner's  readers  which  he  published 
at  that  time. 

Colonel  Parker  had  full  control  of  language  phil- 
osophic and  pedagogic,  and  knew  how  to  so  wrap  up 
an  idea  in  big  words  as  to  awe  all  into  a  certainty 
that,  if  once  got  at,  the  idea  would  have  a  size  in 
proportion  to  its  wording.  And  he  kept  half 
Quincy  busy  trying  to  get  at  these  big  ideas. 

Not  only  in  Quincy  but  in  Boston  and  vicinity, 
education  was  as  universally  discussed  as  inter- 
collegiate ball  games  are  at  the  present  time. 
"  What  do  you  think  of  the  Quincy  System?  "  "  Is 
Colonel  Parker  a  crank  or  a  genius?  "  "  Will  it  be 
possible  that  our  children  can  be  played  into  an 
education? "  And  Mr.  Adams  himself,  by  his 
famous  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Oration,  A  College 
Fetich,  delivered  at  Harvard  University,  fanned  the 
fire  of  discussion  into  a  conflagration,  over  the 
already  mooted  question  as  to  whether  colleges  were 
justified  in  discriminating  so  decidedly  in  favour  of 
an  education  which  made  Greek  and  Latin  its 
foundation.     On  this  question  party  spirit  ran  high; 


40  PEDAGOGUES  AND   PARENTS 

it  was  no  unusual  thing  to  quote  insistently  the  old 
aristocratic  English  assertion  that  a  man  could  not 
be  a  true  gentleman  without  a  knowledge  of  Latin 
and  Greek. 

Meanwhile  the  "  Old  School,"  particularly  in 
Boston,  held  steadily  and  scornfully  on  its  way, 
patiently  awaiting  the  passing  of  this  "  fad  "  which 
irritated  it  like  a  bevy  of  gad-flies.  One  of  the 
Old-School  men  well  expressed  the  conservative 
sentiment  when  he  dismissed  the  whole  matter  by 
remarking  grimly:  "  There's  just  one  way  to  get  an 
education,"  and  turning  an  imaginary  crank  with 
his  right  hand,  uttered  the  one  word,  "  grind." 
They  dubbed  the  new  movement  "  froth  "  and  "  persi- 
flage " ;  it  brings  up  a  smile  now  to  recall  the  ex- 
pressive pet  names  they  indulged  in  for  Colonel 
Parker. 

While  Boston  became  the  conservative  centre  for 
exhibiting  the  "  Splendid  results  of  our  magnificent 
school  sj^stem  founded  by  Horace  Mann,"  Quincy, 
eight  miles  away,  became  the  Mecca  of  the  "  New 
Education,"  whither  flocked  pilgrims  from  every 
part  of  our  country  and  from  abroad,  even  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  seriously  hinder  the  work  of  the 
schools. 

And  did  it  all  do  good?     Surely.     Incalculable 


"  NEW   EDUCATION  "   IN   NEW   ENGLAND     41 

good.  It  did,  we  must  admit,  turn  out  a  class  or 
two  of  poor  spellers  before  it  could  be  realised  that 
children  cannot  learn  English,  and  English  spelling, 
by  paddling  around  in  their  own  little  childish 
vocabularies.  They  shortly  brought  back  their  lists 
of  hard  words.  Soon  they  began  to  discover,  too, 
that  they  could  not  "  away  with  books  "  without 
having  the  children  fail  to  learn  the  infinitely  use- 
ful and  pleasurable  art  of  handling  books,  and  them- 
selves getting  the  good  from  them.  They  found  out 
a  good  many  things  when  that  pendulum  started  on 
its  backward  swing.  And,  perhaps,  no  true  reform 
was  ever  effected  without  having  the  pendulum  swing 
fast  and  far  at  the  outset. 

The  great  result  accomplished  in  this  "  New  De- 
parture "  was  that,  in  spite  of  the  vagaries  and 
extravagances  of  it,  perhaps  even  because  of  them, 
as  was  suggested  in  the  case  of  Emile,  people, 
parents  as  well  as  teachers,  got  thoroughly  aroused 
on  the  important  subject  of  the  education  of  their 
children,  a  subject  over  which  they  had  long  been 
ignominiously  slumbering.  They  were  set  thinking 
and  discussing  and  doing,  and  this  with  a  force  that 
is  still  in  operation. 

It  was,  of  course,  select  minds  that  were  impelled 
to  come  up  to  head-quarters  for  real  knowledge  of 


42  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

the  movement,  and  they  carried  abroad  the  ideas 
and  ideals  of  the  reform,  winnowed  of  their  extrav- 
agances, and  sowed  them  broadcast  over  the  coun- 
try, where  they  took  root  and  grew  into  quiet, 
dignified  efficacy.  The  rapidity  with  which  the  new 
conceptions  of  Education  were  disseminated  was 
phenomenal.  A  pamphlet  was  published  setting 
them  forth,  and  the  whole  movement  was,  of  course, 
discussed  in  the  educational  magazines  and  papers 
and  even  in  the  dailies.  Visitors  and  letters  of 
inquiry  came  from  the  far  West  and  the  South,  as 
well  as  from  New  England. 

The  immediate  results  of  Colonel  Parker's  work 
might  have  been  much  greater  than  they  were,  had 
it  not  been  for  the  usual  drawback  in  such  cases. 
He  never  ceased  lamenting  that  he  could  not  find 
teachers,  nor  train  them  fast  enough,  to  intelli- 
gently carry  out  his  ideas.  How  many  can,  indeed, 
intelligently  seize  and  carry  out  another's  ideas? 
How  many  can  rightly  distinguish  between  liberty 
and  license?  To  rightly  carry  out  Colonel  Parker's 
conception  of  school  work  it  was  necessary  to  do 
both  these  difficult  things. 

In  a  visit  to  one  of  Colonel  Parker's  schools  we 
found  teacher  and  pupils  hilariously  enthusiastic; 
all  was  confusion  and  noise.     We  asked  gently: 


"  NEW    EDUCATION  "    IN    NEW   ENGLAND     43 

"  Don't  you  think  the  children  would  learn  more  if 
they  were  a  little  more  orderly?" 

Alas!  we  had  employed  two  firebrands,  "learn" 
and  "  order  "!  The  expression  on  that  young  girl's 
face  was  a  transfiguration  as  she  turned  to  enlighten 
us.  "  Oh,  you  don't  understand! "  she  explained, 
"we  used  to  feel  like  that,  but  Colonel  Parker 
doesn't  like  order!  And  we  don't  want  children  to 
learn,  we  want  to  wake  up  their  minds!  "  And  our 
hearts  went  out  with  a  great  sympathy  for  this 
same  Colonel  Parker! 

The  fundamental  principles  of  this  "  New  De- 
parture "  were  practically  the  same  as  those  of  the 
Kindergarten.  They  got  themselves  expressed  in 
short  phrases  which  came  into  daily  use.  "  First 
the  known,  then  the  unknown."  "  First  the  whole, 
then  the  parts."  "  From  the  simple  to  the  complex." 
"  From  the  abstract  to  the  concrete."  If  these 
principles  are  now  but  an  old  story,  it  is  because  they 
were  at  this  time  so  thoroughly  instilled. 

And  what,  for  Parents,  is  the  lesson  of  all  this? 
It  may  seem  that  this  is  an  affair  solely  for  teachers 
and  the  educational  world.  But  the  exact  point  is 
that  Parents  should  be  a  part  of  the  educational 
world;  that  it  should  be  equally  interesting  to  par- 
ents and  to  teachers,  to  be  familiar  with  the  genesis 


44  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

and  exodus,  the  wanderings  and  final  deliverance  of 
riglit  educational  ideals.  This  New  Education 
movement  gave  the  final  stroke  which  smote  off 
the  shackles  and  narrow  limitations  imposed  upon 
Education  by  the  Middle  Ages.  Henceforth,  Educa- 
tion, in  this  country  at  least,  will  be  carried  on  as  a 
science,  along  with  other  sciences,  in  the  light  of 
research  in  ps5'^chology  and  child-study. 

Shall  not  Parents,  as  well  as  Pedagogues,  crave 
the  enlightenment  which  ought  to  come  from 
sympathy  with  the  growth  of  our  inspiring  modern 
educational  ideals?  Parents,  even  more  than 
Pedagogues,  should  deeply  feel  the  words  of  Plato: 

"  Every  sprout  of  things  born,  once  started 
toward  tlie  virtue  of  its  nature,  fulfils  it  in  prosper- 
ous end,  this  being  true  of  all  plants  and  of  animals, 
wild  or  gentle;  and  man,  as  we  have  indeed  said,  is 
gentle  if  he  only  receive  right  education  together 
with  fortunate  nature;  and  so  becomes  the  divinest 
and  gentlest  of  things  alive;  but  if  not  enough  or 
rightly  trained,  he  becomes,  of  all  things  the  earth 
brings  forth,  the  savagest." 


IV 

SCHOOL  CURRICULA 

"He  pays  too  high  a  price 

For  kuowledge  and  for  fame 
"Who  sells  his!  sinews  to  be  wise, 

His  teeth  and  bones  to  buy  a  name, 
And  crawls  through  life  a  paralytic 
To  earn  the  praise  of  bard  and  critic." 

— Emerson. 

"  The  sovereignty  of  Man  lieth  hid  in  knowl- 
edge," writes  Bacon.  But  how  much  may  we  pay 
that  it  shall  not  be  "  too  high  a  price  for  knowledge 
and  for  fame"?  How  much  of  ourself  shall  we 
sell  to  be  wise?  And,  how  many  of  us  would  like 
to  live  our  life  over  again,  that,  by  right  education, 
we  might  save  ourselves  from  "  crawling  through 
life  a  paralytic"!  How  many  of  us  feel  that  we 
are  small  when  we  might  have  been  big;  and  all  by 
reason  of  godlike  possibilities  in  us  undeveloped! 
*'  Education  alone  can  conduct  us  to  that  enjoyment 
which  is  at  once  best  in  quality  and  infinite  in 
quantity."  Infinite  in  quantity!  There  is  the 
puzzle  of  it!     Life  is  short  and  art  is  long.     We 

45 


46  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

may  have  but  a  tiny  share  of  the  feast  of  infinite 
knowledge.  What,  then,  shall  we  choose  for  our 
little  portion?  And  what  price  shall  we  be  willing 
to  pay  for  it? 

For  centuries  Pedagogues  have  been  strenuously 
occupying  themselves  with  answering  this  question 
for  childhood  and  youth.  In  spite  of  childhood's 
differing  point  of  view,  the  past  has  never  conceived 
the  idea  of  letting  youth  answer  the  question  for 
itself,  or  even  help  in  the  answering.  Nor  has  it 
ever  been  the  custom  to  invite  Parents  to  assist  in 
the  answering  of  it.  From  adult,  and  from  ped- 
agogical adult,  point  of  view,  has  been  brought  forth 
curriculum  after  curriculum  of  school  studies. 

The  evolution  of  the  school  curriculum,  in  the 
hands  of  a  competent  historian,  would  be  a  treatise 
instructive,  saddening,  even  pathetically  amusing. 
Intensely  interesting  as  they  are,  we  may  not  pause 
to  examine  these  curricula.  "We  must  content  our- 
selves with  taking  a  look  at  just  one  of  them,  Mil- 
ton's Tractate  on  Education,  which  is,  perhaps,  as 
strong  a  type  as  we  have,  of  the  maximum  of 
"  Great  Expectations  "  in  education.  Viewed  with 
the  eyes  of  the  pleasure-seeking,  athletic  youth  of 
to-day,  it  must  seem  almost  like  a  brilliant  curiosity 
in  th«  educational  literature  of  the  past,  rather  than 


SCHOOL  CURRICULA  47 

a  seriously  proposed  school  programme.  I  once 
set  a  whole  company  roaring  with  laughter  by  read- 
ing aloud  to  them  these  great  expectations.  And, 
be  it  said,  Milton  was  not  by  any  means  the  first, 
or  only  one,  to  ambition  exceeding  great  things  for 
youth.  It  is  far  more  profitable  to  understand 
somewhat  thoroughly  one  of  these  schemes  of  educa- 
tion, than  to  get  a  misty  idea  of  many  of  them.  Let 
us,  therefore,  pause  to  take  a  fairly  comprehensive 
look  at  this  renowned  Tractate  of  IMilton's.  He 
sets  forth  at  the  outset  that  he  will  "  point  you  out 
the  right  path  of  a  virtuous  and  noble  education; 
laborious,  indeed,  at  the  first  ascent,  but  else  so 
smooth,  so  green,  so  full  of  goodly  prospect  and 
melodious  sounds  on  every  side,  that  the  harp  of 
Orpheus  was  not  more  charming." 

"  First  they  should  begin  with  the  necessary  rules 
of  some  good  grammar  [Greek  or  Latin  be  it  under- 
stood]. Then,  some  easy  and  delightful  book  of 
education  would  be  read  to  them  [in  Greek]  whereof 
the  Greeks  have  store,  as  Cebes,  Plutarch,  and  other 
Socratic  discourses.  Also  some  few  in  Latin."  In 
this  manner  they  are  to  be  "  enflamed  with  the 
study  of  Learning  and  the  admiration  of  Virtue." 
They  are  also  to  be  taught  "  the  rules  of  Arithmetic, 
and  soon  after  the  Elements  of  Geometry."    "  After 


48  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

evening  repasts,  till  bed-time,  their  thought  will 
best  be  taken  up  in  the  easy  grounds  of  Religion  and 
the  story  of  Scripture.  The  next  step  would  be  to 
the  Authors  of  Agriculture,  Cato,  Varro  and  Colu- 
mella [all  in  the  Latin  of  course],  for  the  matter  is 
most  easy,  and  if  the  language  be  difficult,  so  much 
the  better;  it  is  not  a  difficulty  above  their  years." 
After  learning  the  use  of  the  Globes  and  all  the 
maps  with  the  old  names  and  the  new,  they  "  might 
then,"  reading  Latin  fluently  by  this  time,  "  be 
capable  to  read  any  compendious  method  of  Natural 
Philosophy.  And  at  the  same  time  they  might  be 
entering  into  the  Greek  tongue,  after  the  same 
manner  as  was  prescribed  in  the  Latin;  whereby  the 
difficulties  of  Grammar  being  soon  overcome,  all  the 
Historical  Physiology  of  Aristotle  and  Theophrastus 
are  open  before  them."  "  The  like  access  will  be  to 
Vitruvius,  to  Seneca's  Natural  questions,  to  Mela, 
Celsus,  Pliny  or  Solinus  "  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 

Afterwards  come  Physics,  Trigonometry,  and 
from  thence  to  Fortification,  Architecture,  Enginery 
or  Navigation.  "  The  History  of  Meteors,  minerals, 
plants  and  living  creatures,"  "as  far  as  Anatomy," 
follows.  "  The  helpful  experiences "  of  hunters, 
fowlers,  fishermen,  shepherds,  gardeners,  apothe- 
caries, architects,  engineers,  mariners  and  anato- 


SCHOOL  CURRICULA  49 

mists  are  to  be  introduced  to  give  a  "  real  tincture 
of  natural  knowledge." 

"  Then  also  those  poets  which  are  now  counted 
most  hard,  will  be  both  facile  and  pleasant, 
Orpheus,  Hesiod,  Theocritus,  Arastus,  Meander, 
Oppian,  Dionysius,  and,  in  Latin,  Lucretius, 
Manilius,  and  the  rural  part  of  Virgil."  Enough 
Ethics  so  that  they  may,  "  with  some  judgment, 
contemplate  upon  moral  good  and  evil,"  "  while 
their  young  and  pliant  affections  are  led  through 
all  the  moral  works  of  Plato,  Xenophon,  Cicero, 
Plutarch,  Laertius  and  those  Locrian  Remnants." 
Scriptures,  remember,  always  in  the  evening! 

"  Being  perfect  in  the  knowledge  of  personal  duty, 
they  may  then  begin  the  study  of  Economics.  And 
either  now  or  before  this,  they  may  have  easily 
learnt,  at  any  odd  hour,  the  Italian  tongue."  They 
are  then  to  "  taste  some  choice  comedies,  Greek, 
Latin,  or  Italian;  Those  tragedies,  also,  that  teach 
on  household  matters,  as  Trachiniae,  Alcestis  and 
the  like.  The  next  move  must  be  to  the  study  of 
Politics."  And  here  come  in  the  Grecian  Law- 
givers, Lycurgus,  Solon,  Zaleucus,  Charonidas,  and 
thence  to  all  the  Eoman  Edicts  and  Tables  with 
their  Justinian  Theology  and  Church  History. 
"  And  ere  this  time  the  Hebrew  tongue  at  a  set  hour 


50  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

might  have  been  gained,  that  the  Scriptures  may  be 
now  read  in  their  own  original;  where  it  would  be  no 
impossibility  to  add  the  Chaldean  and  the  Syrian 
Dialect.  When  all  these  employments  are  well  con- 
quered, then  will  the  choice  Histories,  Heroic 
Poems,  Attic  Tragedies  of  stateliest  and  most  regal 
argument,  with  all  the  famous  Political  Orations 
offer  themselves," and  it  is  recommended  that  "some 
of  them  be  got  by  memory."  Then  Logic;  "  and 
ornate  Rhetoric,  taught  out  of  the  rule  of  Plato, 
Aristotle,  Phalereus,  Cicero,  Hermogenes,  Lon- 
ginus." 

"  Then  Poetry,  (in  all  languages).  Epic,  Dramatic, 
Lyric  etc.;  and  the  art  of  Composition  and  Elo- 
quence." 

"  These  are  the  Studies  wherein  our  noble  and 
our  gentle  youth  ought  to  bestow  their  time  in  a 
disciplinary  way  from  twelve  to  one-and-twenty; 
unless  they  rely  more  upon  their  ancestors  dead, 
than  upon  themselves  living." 

What  think  ye  of  that  educational  menu  for  your 
sons,  "  from  twelve  to  one-and-twenty  years  of 
age"?  Milton,  himself,  waxes  enthusiastic  over  it: 
"  Perhaps  then  the  other  nations  will  be  glad  to  visit 
us  for  their  breeding,  or  else  to  imitate  us  in  their 
own  country."     He  realises,  too,  the  full  magnifi- 


SCHOOL   CURRICULA  51 

cence  of  his  scheme  and  exclaims:  "  Only  I  believe 
that  this  is  not  a  bow  for  every  man  to  shoot  in  that 
counts  himself  a  teacher  "! 

If  I  remember  correctly,  school  hours  in  those 
days  were  the  same  as  the  mechanics'  working  hours, 
from  six  to  six.  And  is  not  the  picture  a  pathetic 
one  of  poor  little  John  Bunyan,  fretting  his  baby 
conscience  over  the  sin  of  loving  a  game  of  hockey 
on  the  village  green  during  his  short  noon  hour? 

Legions  upon  legions  are  the  curricula  that  have 
preceded  and  succeeded  that  of  the  earnest  Puritan 
Milton.  And  many  are  as  ambitious  as  this  one. 
They  are  past  history,  past  history  of  pedagogic 
ambition.  Pathetically  interesting  they  are,  but  we 
must  not  linger  with  them.  It  is  in  the  Present 
that  we  are  interested.  In  fertility,  and  in  per- 
sistence of  devising  and  setting  down  long  lists  of 
things  for  children  and  youth  to  learn,  the  present 
day  surpasses  all  preceding  ages.  The  practice  used 
to  be  confined  chiefly  to  Pedagogues;  in  our  day  it  is 
universal.  Every  nation,  state,  town,  school,  every 
Parent  indeed  (if  he  be  a  pedagogical  one),  formu- 
lates an  educational  theory.  The  curriculum  re- 
ferred to  in  the  Introduction  is  unquestionably  the 
one  of  most  interest  to-day.  The  story  of  its  mak- 
ing will  easily  convince  us  of  that. 


52  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

Our  National  Educational  Association,  which  we 
are  wont  to  regard  with  pride  bordering  on  affec- 
tion, was  instituted  in  1857,  It  has  ever  been 
possible  to  say  of  it,  as  was  said  of  it  by  one  of  its 
secretaries,  "  that  chicanery,  politics  and  wicked- 
ness have  never  held  sway  in  this  great  organisa- 
tion." The  Educational  Review  tells  us,  that  "  The 
National  Educational  Association  is  the  largest 
body  of  school-teachers  in  the  world.  Its  annual 
sessions,  held  during  midsummer,  assemble  a 
throng  of  thousands  of  men  and  women,  all  directly 
engaged  in  teaching.  Representatives  of  every 
phase  of  instruction  then  come  together,  and  for 
several  days,  in  groups  and  conventions,  com- 
municate, one  to  another,  the  experiences,  dis- 
coveries, and  interests  of  the  country  in  the  field  of 
American  educational  effort."  The  object  of  this 
annual  meeting  is  to  "  concentrate  the  wisdom  and 
power  of  numerous  minds,  and  distribute  among  all 
the  experiences  of  all." 

Enthusiasm  at  these  meetings  has  always  been  at 
high  pitch.  "  It  seems  to  be  impossible,"  writes 
one  of  its  secretaries,  "  for  the  National  Educational 
Association  to  reach  a  permanent  high-water  mark." 
Each  meeting  is  always  felt  to  be  "  the  best  meeting 
possible."     The  meeting  of  1892  "was  successful 


SCHOOL   CURRICULA  53 

beyond  expectation.  It  was  easil}^  the  best  educa- 
tional meeting  ever  held  by  that  great  body."  It 
was  at  this  meeting,  after  thirty-five  years  of  papers, 
addresses,  and  discussions,  that  enthusiasm  cul- 
minated in  a  desire  to  "  undertake  some  specific 
pedagogical  investigation." 

The  report  goes  on,  "  After  a  careful  discussion 
extending  over  three  days,  it  was  decided  that  a 
specific  study  should  be  made  to  improve  and  sys- 
tematise the  work  of  the  secondary  schools,"  and  a 
Committee  of  Ten  was  elected  to  do  the  work.  "  To 
carry  authority,  however,  the  specialists  must  be 
selected  with  great  care,"  and  President  Eliot  and 
William  T.  Harris  head  the  list,  all  the  others  being 
college  presidents,  professors,  and  others  of  high 
standing.  This  Committee  of  Ten  had  "  eminently 
successful "  meetings.  They  appointed  nine  con- 
ferences of  ten  persons  each,  also  selected  with  great 
care,  distributed  all  over  the  country,  "  to  ad- 
vise with  them  and  to  make  suggestions."  They 
issued  a  list  of  eleven  questions  concerning  an  ideal 
school  course  of  study,  to  be  answered  by  these  ten 
conferences.  I  should  like  to  give  the  questions, 
but  space  will  not  permit.  By  monthly  reports, 
published  in  the  Educational  Review  interest  in  the 
work  of  this  Committee  was  kept  lively  for  nearly 


64  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

a  year  and  a  half,  when  at  last,  it  was  announced 
that  the  Committee  of  Ten  "  are  about  to  assemble 
at  Columbia  College  to  prepare  its  report,"  and  adds, 
"  No  committee  appointed  in  this  country  to  deal 
with  an  educational  subject  has  ever  attracted  so 
much  attention  as  this  one."  In  the  December 
number  (1893)  it  is  finally  announced,  that  "  When 
the  Committee  of  Ten  adjourned  sine  die  on  the 
11th  of  November,  the  most  systematic  and  im- 
portant educational  investigation  ever  undertaken 
in  this  country  was  brought  to  a  conclusion." 

The  report  was  published  immediately  by  the 
United  States  Bureau  of  Education  in  a  volume  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  pages.  In  the  next  Review 
is  Mr.  Harris'  detailed  report  of  it  all,  at  the  end  of 
which  he  exclaims,  "  I  feel  confident  that  we  shall 
enter  upon  a  new  era  of  educational  study  with  the 
publication  of  this  report." 

It  was  felt  that  Mr.  Harris'  prophecy  was  fulfilled. 
We  have  not,  however,  yet  arrived  at  the  final  evolv- 
ing of  that  curriculum  whose  history  we  promised  to 
relate.  Let  us  continue  to  the  end.  Even  before 
the  disbanding  of  the  Committee  of  Ten,  the  Com- 
mittee of  Fifteen  was  appointed  which  was  to  bring 
forth  this  curriculum. 

The  December  number  of  the  Educational  Review 


SCHOOL   CURRICULA  65 

of  that  same  year  reports:  "No  more  important 
meeting  of  the  Department  of  Superintendence  of 
the  National  Educational  Association  was  ever  held 
than  that  which  concluded  its  sessions  February 
3d,  at  Boston.  State  and  city  superintendents 
representing  over  thirty  States  of  the  Union,  were 
in  attendance." 

Undoubtedly  inspired  by  the  thrill  of  new  life 
which  was  permeating  the  pedagogical  study  of 
Secondary  Schools,  this  meeting  appointed  a  Com- 
mittee of  Fifteen,  with  Superintendent  Maxwell,  of 
New  York,  as  chairman,  to  do  a  somewhat  similar 
work  for  the  elementary  schools.  This  committee 
was  divided  into  three  sub-committees,  and  it  was 
the  one  on  "  Correlation  of  Studies,"  Wm,  T. 
Harris,  chairman,  which  evolved  the  yellow-covered 
pamphlet  which  so  much  wrinkled  the  brow  of  my 
young  school-teacher  neighbour  of  the  trolley-ride, 
for  whom  I  expressed  so  much  sympathy  in  my 
Introduction. 

Again  and  again  I  have  wished  that  Commissioner 
Harris  would  write  a  treatise  for  us  Parents,  ex- 
pressing up-to-date  ideas  and  ideals,  aspirations  and 
inspirations,  as  strongly  and  as  finely  as  he  has  the 
habit  of  doing  it  for  Pedagogues.  Some  one  cer- 
tainly ought  to  do  it.     I  believe  I  have  written  the 


66  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

long  story  of  this  curriculum,  mainly  for  the  purpose 
of  expressing  my  profound  regret  that  it  was 
so  purely  pedagogical.  It  seems  to  me  a  matter  of 
reproach  that  enthusiastic  meetings  of  the  highest 
educators  in  the  land  should  be  held  to  consult  upon 
the  well-being  of  childhood;  that  committees  should 
be  appointed  to  decide  upon  what  children  shall 
learn  and  how  they  shall  learn  it, — to  regulate,  in  a 
word,  the  whole  educational  life  of  children,  from 
the  nursery  to  college,  and  that  it  should  all  be 
done  without  a  single  representative  from  the  great 
body  of  the  parents  of  those  children.  Not  a  single 
voice  from  the  Home,  that  realm  of  childhood's  free 
activities,  ever  seems  to  have  entered  those  councils 
and  round-table  conferences!  Every  note  proceeded 
from  the  schoolroom!  The  parents  of  the  country 
were  all  unconscious,  indeed,  of  the  educational 
revival  which  was  going  on  in  behalf  of  their  chil- 
dren. But  can  the  highest  ideals  of  child-culture 
possibly  be  attained  without  the  complementary 
wisdom  of  school  and  home?  of  Pedagogue  and 
Parent?     I  cannot  think  so. 

Let  us  examine  the  curriculum  given  on  the  op- 
posite page,  which  is  the  result  of  this  high-water- 
mark of  pedagogical  enthusiasm.  The  five  names 
subscribed  to  it  are  a  guarantee  of  its  being  a  not- 


SCHOOL  CURRICULA 


57 


Branches 

Ut 
year 

2d 
year 

3d 
year 

4<A 
year 

5th 
year 

eth 

year 

1th 
year 

8</i 
year 

Reading   .    .    . 

10  lessons 
a  weels 

5  lessons  a  week 

Writing    .    .    . 

10  lessons 
a  week 

5  lessons 
a  week 

3  lessons 
a  week 

Spelling  Lists  . 

4  lessons  a  week 

1 

English  Grammar 

Oral,  with  composition  lessons    ^Jfeh'teittbTok^ 

Latin    .... 

5  les- 
sons 

Arithmetic   .    . 

Oral,  6 

utes  a 

3  min- 
week 

5  lessons  a  week  with 
text- book 

Algebra    .    .    . 

5  lessons 
a  week 

Geography    .    . 

Oral,  60  minutes 
a  week 

*5  lessons  a  week  with 
text-book 

3  lessons 
a  week 

Natural  Science 
+Hygiene 

Sixty  minutes  a  week 

U.  S.  History   . 

5  lessons 
a  week  | 

U.  8.  Constitnt'n 

1 

»5 

les. 

General  History 
Physical  Culture 


Oral,  sixty  minutes  a  week 


Sixty  minutes  a  week 


Vocal  Music  Sixty  minutes  a  week  divided  into  four  lessons 


Drawing  . 


Sixty  minutes  a  week 


Manual  Training 
or  Sewings- 
Cookery 


One-half  day 
each 


No.  of  Lessons 


30+7  I  20+7  I  20+5     24+5  (  27+5     27+5  f  23+6  23+6 
daily     daily  I  daily     daily     daily     daily    daily ,  daily 


exer.  I  exer. 


exer.     exer.  I  exer.     exer.    exer.  I  exer 


Total  Hours  of 

Recit:itions 

12 

12 

11% 

13 

1   16^ 

16^ 

17M      ITJ^ 

Length  ot  Recita- 
tions 

15 
min. 

15 
min. 

20 
min. 

20 
miu. 

25 
min. 

25 
min. 

30          30 
min.     min. 

*  Begins  in  second  half  year. 


58  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

to-be-questioned  illumination  of  the  up-to-date 
pedagogical  spirit  and  current  of  thought,  especially 
if  the  ninety  pages  of  comment  be  taken  along  with 
it.  To  the  eyes  of  Pedagogues  it  must,  I  am  sure, 
appear  to  be  a  soul-satisfying  feast.  If  little  chil- 
dren must  enter,  all  upon  the  same  hard-and-fast, 
every-hour-of-the-day-prescribed,  eight-year  curric- 
ulum of  studies,  almost  wholly  exclusive  of  manual 
training,  this  one  does  surely  seem  a  most  wisely 
thought  out  and  arranged  one.  Indeed,  to  the  un- 
wary, visiting  the  best  ordered  of  our  curriculum- 
dominated  schools,  it  is  quite  as  Mr.  Henderson 
says: 

"  The  intention  is  so  good,  the  teachers  are  so 
devoted,  the  place  is  so  clean,  the  children  are  so 
clever  and  so  lovable,  that  the  effect  is  to  create  the 
impression  that  we  have  attained  what  we  have  not 
attained." 

But  thoughtful  parents,  if  they  once  begin  seriously 
to  reflect,  must  gasp  at  the  presumption  which 
relentlessly  applies  the  same  course  of  studies 
exactly  alike,  to  all  children  for  eight  years.  Every 
lesson  the  same,  and  of  the  same  length,  for  each! 
Each  encouraged  to  keep  abreast  in  all  things;  to 
keep  "  full  grade  "  in  some  class.  The  expansive, 
volatile,  totally  differing  little  creatures,  must  sup- 


SCHOOL   CURRICULA  69 

press  themselves  along  the  lines  of  their  natural 
bent,  in  order  to  slow  down  to  the  pace  of  the  things 
they  "  hate  "  and  can't  do  well, — oftenest  arith- 
metic. Or  they  must  struggle  along  with  inferior, 
half-done  work,  in  some  directions,  in  order  to  pull 
themselves  up  to  the  same  grade  in  their  poor  as  in 
their  best  studies.  Alas!  what  would  you  have? 
Our  schools  must  be  "  graded  "! 

We  had  occasion  at  one  time  to  have  a  hand  in 
placing  a  child  at  school,  who  had  removed  from  one 
city  to  another.  She  had,  by  some  unavoidable 
irregularities,  outstripped  the  average  twelve-j^ear- 
old  in  some  things,  but  had  fallen  far  behind  what 
is  ordinarily  accomplished,  or  rather,  attempted  to 
be  accomplished,  in  arithmetic  at  that  age.  Our 
school  visits  in  her  behalf  were  most  depressing. 
We  came  continually  up  against  two  most  dismaying 
facts:  the  absolute  necessity  which  every  teacher 
felt  to  get  the  child,  with  the  utmost  promptness, 
fitted  to  some  "  grade,"  to  get  her  brought  up  to  the 
same  stage  in  all  her  lessons.  The  second  fact  was 
the  universality  with  which  arithmetic  was  looked 
upon  as  the  grade-regulator.  Our  experience  was 
nearly  the  same  everywhere.  The  first  question 
always  asked  was,  how  far  she  had  gone  in  arith- 
metic.    Moreover,  in  attempting  to  determine  what 


60  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

grade  she  might  enter,  the  chief  concern,  was  not  of 
her  general  intelligence  and  maturity,  but  whether 
she  was  "  grounded  in  what  the  class  had  previously 
gone  over."  One  of  the  principals  of  an  endowed 
semi-public  school  expressed  the  general  verdict 
quite  explicitly.  After  hearing  our  story  he  said 
the  case  seemed  very  simple. 

"  If,"  said  he,  "  she  is,  as  you  say,  so  far  advanced 
in  some  things,  she  can  afford  to  drop  those  now 
and  give  attention  to  those  in  which  she  is  deficient. 
She  could  enter  such  a  grade  conditionally,  take 
arithmetic  with  her  own  class  and  the  class  below, 
and  by  the  end  of  the  year  she  could,  perhaps,  enter 
the  next  class  full  grade." 

I  do  not  know  what  other  thing  that  principal 
could  easily  have  done  and  maintained  his  "  system." 
But  see  what  it  meant  to  that  earnest,  enthusiastic 
little  idealist;  the  abandonment  of  all  lines  in  which 
she  was  so  far  advanced  that  the  pleasures  of 
achievement  were  beginning  to  loom  up  delightfully 
in  the  near  future.  Having  cultivated  the  tree  till 
the  fruit  had  grown,  the  fruit  was  now  to  be  ruth- 
lessly snatched  from  her.  In  this  case,  visions 
splendid  were  to  be  ruthlessly  brushed  aside  to  gain 
two  or  three  periods  at  school,  with  their  attendant 
home-work,  for  the  hated  arithmetic! — which  would. 


SCHOOL   CURRICULA  61 

very  likely,  if  left  to  itself,  grow  a  sufficient  harvest 
to  get  through  the  world  on.  And  what  was  to  be 
gained  by  all  this  self-denial?  A  conventional 
knowledge  of  true  and  bank  discount,  and  square 
root,  and  the  like,  and,  more  than  all,  the  sentiment 
of  being  "  Full  Grade." 

These  "  visions  splendid,"  the  personally  chosen 
and  loved  ambitions  of  the  child-heart,  are  the  very 
mainsprings  and  inspiration  of  fine  and  fruitful 
results.  The  setting  them  aside  for  pursuits  in 
which  the  student  is  unhappy  or  even  indifferent,  is 
a  prominent  element  in  the  "  wrecking  of  so  many 
fine  souls  by  mal-education."  But  more  of  this  else- 
where. 

Of  the  schools  which  we  visited,  but  one  single 
principal  expressed  no  concern  about  examining  the 
child.  She  made  a  proposition  to  her,  which  could 
have  originated  in  the  mind  of  no  person  not  an 
educational  genius,  namely:  that  the  child  herself 
should  visit  about  among  the  rooms  for  a  day  or  two, 
and  then  try  in  any  grade  where  she  thought  she 
could  do  and  enjoy  the  work.  This  woman's  lib- 
erality is  the  one  bright  spot  in  our  remembrance  of 
that  discouraging  time.  It  may  be  said  that  the 
case  of  this  child  was  a  special,  not  a  typical  one. 
The   principal   above   mentioned  had   not   seemed 


62  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

troubled  by  that  consideration.  She  was  the  only 
one  of  them  all  who  seemed  to  feel,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  what  Professor  Search  has  so  well  expressed: 

"  The  school  which  has  difficulty  in  placing  chil- 
dren received  from  other  schools,  or  who  have  been 
out  of  school  for  a  time,  is  not  simply  out  of  joint 
with  other  schools,  but  is,  itself,  out  of  joint  with 
Nature." 

He  repeats  the  thought  with  emphasis  in  another 
place: 

"  If  the  child  from  necessity  enters  school  late, 
or  if  he  must  be  absent  a  day  or  a  week  or  a  month 
or  a  term,  his  loss  should  never  be  disproportionate. 
He  has  a  right  to  expect  that  the  school  shall  fit 
his  individual  needs,  associate  him  with  those  who  can 
help  him  most,  and  permit  him  to  advance  as 
naturally  as  grow  the  trees  of  the  forest.  There 
should  be  no  time  element.  He  should  be  per- 
mitted to  accomplish  as  he  may  be  individually 
capable." 

No  normal  child  should  be  special  in  the  schools. 
Perhaps  it  would  be  better  to  say,  that  every  child 
should  be  special.  All  children  mature  more 
rapidly  in  some  things  than  in  others.  The  schools 
should  be  so  flexibly  adapted  to  that  fact  that  every 
child  may  have  individual  benefit  from  it.     Should 


SCHOOL  CURRICULA  63 

it  be  necessary,  I  ask  you,  that  a  child  be  forced  to 
proceed  rapidly  in  arithmetic  in  order  that  he  may 
be  allowed  to  stride  at  his  own  swift  pace  in  history, 
or  literature,  art,  or  science?  I  have  known  of 
several  pupils  who  have  been  kept  back  for  a  whole 
term,  or  year,  in  all  their  studies  on  account  of 
deficiency  in  arithmetic.  It  is  cruel  and  most  dis- 
heartening to  deprive  a  child  of  the  glory  of  his  own 
particular  talents  because  Nature  has  not  bestowed 
all  the  others  on  him  in  equal  brilliancy. 

I  entreat  you,  my  fellow-parents,  to  go  forth  and 
visit  your  children's  schools.  Force  the  inclination, 
if  it  is  not  in  you.  Make  the  time,  if  you  have  it 
not.  If  you  will  but  do  that,  observantly,  reflec- 
tively, looking  for  the  thing  your  child  is  doing 
and  becoming,  rather  than  for  the  quantity  of  book- 
learning  he  is  getting,  you  will  feel  the  full 
force  of  this  chapter.  You  will  feel  the  pedagogic 
one-sidedness  of  the  atmosphere  your  children 
breathe  during  the  most  impressionable  five  or  six 
hours  a  day  of  the  most  impressionable  five  or  six 
years  of  their  life.  The  first,  most  all-pervading  ele- 
ment you  will  notice,  is  this  very  insistence  upon 
conformity,  or,  as  President  Eliot  calls  it,  "  Uni- 
formity," and  then  unqualifiedly  terms  it,  the 
"  curse  of  our  schools." 


64  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

I  quote  Professor  Search  once  more: 

"  Before  the  teacher,  frequently  of  limited  hori- 
zon and  questionable  motive,  there  gather  in  the 
school  fifty  children.  Side  by  side  in  the  same 
school  sit  the  children  of  wealth  and  of  poverty,  of 
native  and  of  foreign  descent,  the  well-fed  and  the 
meagrely  nourished,  the  warmly  clad  and  the 
scantily  protected  from  the  storm,  the  refreshed  by 
adequate  sleep  in  rooms  of  pure  air,  and  those  worn 
from  meagre  hours  of  rest  in  a  crowded,  unventi- 
lated  room,  the  child  of  luxury  and  the  one  of  heavy 
responsibilities,  the  spoiled  by  indulgent  parents 
and  the  independent  through  forced  self-reliance, 
the  robust  in  physical  health  and  the  incapacitated 
by  past  sicknesses  and  injuries,  the  well-taught  and 
the  ill-taught,  the  child  of  virtue  and  the  one  whose 
whole  life  is  a  moral  struggle,  the  child  of  encour- 
agement and  ambition,  and  the  one  heart-sick  and 
of  little  expectancy.  .  .  .  How  can  any  system  of 
uniformity  answer  the  responsibility  which  it 
assumes?  " 

Is  not  this  insatiate  desire  for  uniformity  most 
especially  pedagogic,  and  not  in  the  least  parental? 
The  conviction  most  common  to  parents  is,  that 
though  they  had  a  dozen  children,  no  two  would  be 
alike,  or  do  the  same  things,  or  do  them  in  the  same 


SCHOOL   CURRICULA  66 

way.  Parents  take  delight  in  this  variety,  seeking 
always  to  accentuate  it.  ,The  more  thoughtful  and 
advanced  educators  are  themselves  conscious  of  this 
"  curse  "  of  uniformity  in  the  schools.  Mr.  George 
B.  Martin,  a  former  supervisor  of  the  Boston  schools, 
in  an  address  before  the  Massachusetts  Teachers'  As- 
sociation, once  drew  forcible  attention  to  it.  He  puts 
it  as  the  result  of  the  systematising  of  education.  It 
goes  without  saying  that  Mr.  Martin  exults  in  the 
immense  progress  education  has  made  in  the  last 
half  century,  but  he  has  the  true  exultation  of  wis- 
dom, which  can  see  the  dangers  ahead  and  the 
progress  still  necessary  to  make.    He  says  earnestly: 

"  The  development  of  the  city  education  system  has 
closely  parallelled  the  development  of  the  factory 
system.  The  elements  of  the  two  have  been  the 
same,  specialisation  of  function,  with  regular  grada- 
tion of  authority  and  responsibility.  Once  one 
man  made  a  whole  shoe,  now  thirty  men  make  it, 
but  one  man  directs  the  thirty.  Once  one  man 
schooled  a  boy  from  primer  to  college,  now  twenty 
men  and  women  w^ork  on  him,  but  one  man  directs 
the  twenty. 

"  The  system  is  not  wholly  good  in  making  shoes. 
It  tends  to  make  of  the  workmen  mere  adjuncts  of 
the  machines  they  use. 


66  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

"  It  has  not  been  an  unmixed  good  in  educating 
children.  The  essential  element  of  a  system  is  uni- 
formity of  action  of  corresponding  parts.  As  in  an 
army,  so  in  a  factory,  irregularity,  eccentricity,  or 
individuality  is  a  blemish.  So  it  has  been  regarded 
in  modern  systematic  schoolkeeping.  One  of  the 
earliest  and  one  of  the  most  persistent  results  of  the 
grading  of  schools  under  superintendents  has  been 
uniformity  of  organisation,  uniformity  of  discipline, 
uniformity  of  instruction,  and  so  far  as  possible  uni- 
formity in  attainment  in  knowledge  and  skill. 

"  Under  the  old  system  no  two  shoes  were  alike, 
though  made  by  one  man.  Under  the  new  system 
all  shoes  of  a  kind  are  alike,  though  made  by  many 
men. 

"  Under  the  old  systemless  method  of  educating  no 
two  children  came  out  alike  from  the  same  teacher's 
hands,  nor  were  they  expected  to.  Under  the  new 
system  many  salt  tears  have  been  shed  because  all 
children  have  not  come  out  alike  from  the  hands  of 
all  the  teachers  in  a  great  system. 

"  It  will  be  the  work  of  the  twentieth  century  to 
avoid  the  evils  while  reaping  the  benefits  of  or- 
ganised industry  and  organised  education." 

Do  we  want  machine-made  men  and  women? 
We  do  not.     We  want  individualised  human  beings; 


SCHOOL  CURRICULA  67 

men  and  women  with  robust  conscience-led  person- 
alities. Our  schools  have  emerged  from  the  con- 
fusion and  chaos,  inefficiency  and  illiteracy,  of  the 
first  half  of  the  century  just  closed.  Horace 
Mann's  noble  work  was  the  first  revolt. 

When,  after  his  time,  things  swung  back  into  in- 
difference and  deadness,  the  "  New  Education,"  and 
the  "  Quincy  System,"  wrought  for  us  almost  a 
revolution.  The  force  of  that  great  forward  move- 
ment is  not  yet  spent;  it  has  been  applied,  during 
the  last  decade  or  more,  of  years,  to  the  organising 
and  systematising  of  the  schools.  We  have  now  as 
a  result,  a  beautiful  and  imposing  "  system,"  the 
harmony  of  whose  working  is  being  every  day  more 
and  more  felt  all  along  the  line,  from  kindergarten 
to  college.  It  should  be  the  especial  mission  of  the 
next  decade  to  see  to  it  that  the  evils  are  avoided 
while  we  reap  the  benefits,  of  this  magnificent  or- 
ganisation. The  evils  are  in  full  working  force  in 
the  present  curriculum-crazy  age,  and  it  does  seem 
preeminently  the  function  of  the  Parent  rather 
than  of  the  Pedagogue,  to  lead  in  this  matter  of 
rescuing  the  children  from  "  machine  work."  I 
read  of  one  of  the  Swiss  cantons,  I  think,  but  it  will 
fit  many  localities,  that  the  supervisor  had  on  the 
wall  of  his  office  a  chart  showing  what  was  going 


68  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

on  during  every  hour  under  his  charge.  He  exulted 
over  the  fact  that,  by  means  of  this  chart  and  his 
list  of  pupils,  he  could  tell  you  at  any  specified 
moment  what  every  individual  child  in  his  juris- 
diction was  about.  The  future  artist,  physician, 
engineer,  stagedriver,  college  professor,  were  all  at 
work  upon  exactly  the  same  tasks, — each  according 
to  his  "  grade."  A  fine  bit  of  machinery,  well-oiled 
and  in  good  running  order! 

It  is  the  same  in  many,  perhaps  in  most,  of 
what  are  called  our  best  schools.  One  of  the  really 
best  schools  in  one  of  our  large  cities,  has  the 
following  in  its  prospectus;  it  seems  like  a  chal- 
lenge: 

"  Diplomas — The  diploma  of  the  school  is  awarded 
to  all  those  who  have  completed  satisfactorily  the 
entire  course.  Pupils  will  be  excused  from  no  part 
of  it  on  account  of  sickness,  accident,  lack  of 
earnestness,  or  inability.  This  applies  to  the 
manual  and  the  physical,  as  well  as  to  the  academic 
work." 

Enterprising,  surely!  But  does  it  not  sound  re- 
lentless! Are  enterprise  and  relentlessness  what 
are  required  in  dealing  with  our  children  in  educa- 
tion, at  the  sensitive  pubescent  age?  Or  at  any 
other  age?     We  may  not  fear  that  the  hotly-earnest 


SCHOOL  CURRICULA  69 

educators  of  this  day  will  not  furnish  power  to  keep 
the  educational  express  trains  running  at  full  speed 
and  on  schedule  time,  but,  as  I  think  I  have  else- 
where said,  it  is  the  absolute  duty  of  Parents  to  tend 
the  brakes. 

We  Parents  should  not  be  terrified  by  the  school- 
master's phrase,  "  Full  Clrade  ";  phrase  beloved  by 
school  magnates,  but  of  bodeful  import  to  child- 
hood! To  be  "Full  Grade"  means,  as  far  as  I 
have  been  able  to  ascertain,  to  have  been  brought 
forward  at  an  equal  pace  in  a  certain  number  of 
selected  studies.  As  if  that  could  rightly  be!  As 
if  it  should  be,  for  any  human  being,  child  or  adult! 
"  As  much  algebra  as  would  be  acquired  by  three 
years  of  five  periods  per  week!"  By  which  child, 
pray?  By  my  mathematical  youngster,  or  your 
literar^^  or  artistic  one?  Is  knowledge,  then,  so 
measurable  ? 

Do  we,  one  wonders,  need  to  be  slaves  to  hard- 
and-fast,  set-down-in-black-and-white  courses  of 
study,  presenting  the  menu  of  the  feasts  for  years 
ahead,  with  no  hope  of  pleasant  surprises  in  the 
fare?  These  theory-bound  curricula  are  chafing  to 
liberal-minded  teachers,  and  are  always  needing 
amendments  and  changes  in  order  to  keep  them 
satisfied.      David   Salmon,   Principal   of  a  Welsh 


70  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

training-school,  in  visiting  our  schools,  is  quoted  as 
saying: 

"  In  every  town  I  asked  for  the  current  course  of 
study,  but  was  almost  invariably  told  that  it  was 
under  revision.  Before  visiting  one  Normal  School 
I  was  warned  not  to  ask  for  it  because  there  the 
courses  grew  obsolete  faster  than  they  could  be 
printed." 

We  smile  at  Dr.  Edward  Everett  Hale's  com- 
placency at  having  escaped  all  such  machinery: 

"  I  have  always  been  glad,"  he  exults,  "  that  I  was 
sent  where  I  was — to  a  school  without  any  plan  or 
machinerj^  like  Miss  Whitney's,  very  much  on  the 
go-as-you-please  principle,  and  where  no  strain  was 
put  upon  the  pupil." 

We  all  know  well  enough  that  that  sort  of  "  go- 
as-you-please  "  school  could  not  answer  our  needs 
to-day  Avith  our  multitudes  of  school-children. 
Order  is  Heaven's  first  law.  All  we  are  asking  for 
is  that  a  law  and  order  shall  be  evolved  which  shall 
fit  the  needs  of  an  individual,  rather  than  a  regimen- 
tal, pace;  and  that  the  mad  drive  of  each  to  keep 
pace  with  all  in  every  study  shall  be  done  away  with. 

Let  us  work  and  pray  then,  for  a  near  day  when 
rigid  curricula  and  their  accompanying  "  rush," 
shaj]   be  eliminated  from  the  formative  years  of 


SCHOOL   CURRICULA  71 

children's  lives;  for  a  day  in  which  there  will  be  no 
temptation  to  define  education  as  "  the  grave  of  a 
great  mind." 

Our  school  systems  are  guided  and  controlled  by 
large-minded,  earnest,  conscientious  Pedagogues; 
but  affectionate  and  cordial  as  are  our  sentiments 
toward  them,  we  cannot  help  feeling  that  they 
"  perfect  their  systems  "  too  much  in  the  study,  and 
in  councils  assembled,  and  that  hence  results  a 
strong  tendency  to  go  about  things  theory  end  first. 
We  are  right  in  being  proud  of  that  pet  institution, 
our  Public  Schools,  but  while  we  take  some  glory  to 
ourselves  for  the  way  in  which  we  "  handle  the  great 
multitudes  of  children,"  we  ought  not  to  pass  by  on 
the  other  side  at  sight  of  a  single  little  child,  suf- 
fering soul-starvation.  Members  of  the  vanguard 
of  education  are,  indeed,  beginning  everywhere  to 
search  after  first-hand  knowledge  of  childhood  and 
childhood's  ways,  which  can  be  gotten  only  by 
actual  contact  with  individual  children  in  their  free 
activities.  Now  Parents  have  that  contact,  daily 
and  continuously;  they  are  the  natural  great  "  other 
half"  in  the  educational  world,  which,  like  the 
western  continent,  has  been  a  long  time  in  getting 
itself  discovered.  Let  us  now  get  ourselves  dis- 
covered and  forthwith  assimilate  ourselves  with  the 


72  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

pedagogical  half  to  form  a  complete  educational 
world.  Such  a  union  of  the  two  kinds  of  wisdom, 
the  theoretic  and  the  practical,  or,  perhaps  more 
courteously  designated,  the  scholastic  and  parental, 
would  do  much  to  hasten  the  time  when  the  educa- 
tional atmosphere  shall  not  be  of  a  sort  to  bring 
forth  books  with  such  titles  as  The  Curse  of 
Education,  The  Lost  Art  of  Reading,  The  Generation 
of  Artificial  Stupidity  in  the  Schools,  and  the  like. 
The  time  is  surely  near  at  hand  when  Parents  will 
not,  with  so  easy  conscience,  relegate  the  whole  educa- 
tional well-being  of  their  children  to  Pedagogues, 
even  to  faithful  ones,  but  will  exercise  jealous  super- 
vision and  cooperation,  in  the  entire  career  of  those 
whom  Nature  has  confided  to  their  care. 


POINTS  OF  VIEW 

"  All  the  world  I  saw  or  knew 
Seemed  a  complex  Chinese  toy 
Fashioned  for  a  barefoot  boy." 

— Whittikr. 

"We  are  but  children  of  a  larger  growth."  The 
converse,  however,  is  not  so  true.  It  is  not  sound 
theory  to  regard  children,  except  in  body,  as  men 
and  women  of  a  lesser  growth.  Children  are  so 
unlike  us  in  the  points  of  view  from  which  they 
look  at  things,  as  to  be  almost  of  a  different  species. 
They  do  see  the  things  which  we  see,  but  not  as 
we  see  them.  So  true  is  this,  that,  under  the 
guidance  of  our  different-seeing  eyes,  they  are  much 
of  the  time  travelling  blindly,  even  as  an  obedient 
horse  unquestioningly  follows  the  guidance  of  his 
master. 

"  Take  our  dogs  and  ourselves,"  writes  Professor 
James,  "  how  insensible  each  of  us  to  all  that  makes 
life  significant  to  the  other!  We  to  the  rapture 
of  bones  under  hedges,  .  .  .  they  to  the  delights  of 
Literature  and  Art! " 

78 


74  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 


We  are  wise  enough  to  train  our  dog  from  his  own 
point  of  view.  But  alas:  the  human  child,  who  loves 
so  well  to  blaze  his  own  way  through  the  enchanting 
labyrinths  of  this  big  world  in  which  he  finds  himself, 
must  follow,  too  unswervingly,  in  the  paths  which 
have  long  ago  been  made  for  him,  by  minds  far,  far 
away  from  his  habits  of  thinking  and  feeling  and 
doing. 

"  I  hafter  do  this  and  I  hafter  do  that  and  I  keep 
a-haftering  and  a-haftering  all  the  time,"  wailed  a 
small  six-year-old  in  a  letter  to  a  friend.  He  had 
newly  removed  to  the  city,  and  he  longed  to  be  let 
alone  and  to  acquaint  himself  in  his  own  wise,  re- 
flective, childish  way,  with  the  throng  of  new  people 
and  wonders  about  him. 

Fortunately,  a  child  will  not,  for  he  cannot,  come 
up  to  our  height,  and  view  things  from  our  larger 
horizon.  He  is  thus  in  a  measure  self-protected. 
We  may  nag  and  bother  and  delay  him,  even  to  the 
point  of  preventing  his  full  development,  as  we 
oftenest  do,  but,  in  spite  of  us,  he  remains  for  his 
allotted  time,  sui  generis,  a  child. 

How  widely  different  a  child's  point  of  view  is 
from  ours,  will  be  a  constant  surprise  to  us,  but  will 
delight  and  refresh  us,  if  we  keep  ourselves  in 
sympathetic   attitude   toward   him,   ever   ready   to 


POINTS   OF   VIEW  76 

slip  with  him  into  his  tiny  but  enchanting  horizon. 
So  simple  is  the  vision  of  childhood!  So  clear  and 
confiding,  so  uncompromisingly  direct!  Childhood 
has  truly,  what  Arlo  Bates  calls,  "  A  gifted  sim- 
plicity of  vision." 

There  had  been  a  slight  fire  on  our  street.  The 
next  day  as  we  passed  the  place  we  asked,  of  a  batch 
of  children,  hanging  about,  if  they  knew  who  lived 
there. 

*'  I  do! "  exclaimed  a  little  fellow,  running 
up  eagerly.  "  A  little  boy  does;  and  he  had 
to  go  away  to  his  uncle's  till  his  house  gets 
fixed! " 

Surely!  Of  what  account  were  the  details  of  the 
little  boy's  attendant  suite  of  parents  and  parapher- 
nalia? Not  in  the  least  worth  mentioning!  A  lit- 
tle boy  had  lived  there,  had  been  burned  out,  and 
had  been  obliged  to  go  away!  That  was  the  simple 
essential  fact! 

John  Locke  tells  of  being  out  to  dinner  one  day 
where  he  observed  the  most  intent  expression  of 
interest  on  the  face  of  the  small  son  of  the  house,  as 
Alexander  the  Great  was  being  discussed.  The 
company  were  commenting  on  the  oft-repeated  tale 
of  the  magnanimity  and  loyalty  of  Alexander,  in 
swallowing  a  potion  from  the  hand  of  his  friend  and 


76  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

physician,  even  while  putting  into  that  friend's 
hand  an  anonj^mous  letter,  informing  him  that  his 
physician  was 'seeking  an  opportunity  to  poison  him. 
After  the  dinner  was  over,  Locke  took  the  little 
fellow  aside,  desirous  of  learning  the  aspect  in  which 
the  child  viewed  the  matter,  to  be  in  so  great  a 
reverence  of  Alexander  as  he  evidently  was.  He 
discovered  that  the  child's  admiration  turned  wholly 
on  the  point  of  Alexander's  having  been  so  brave 
and  so  noble  as  to  be  able  to  swallow  at  once  a  dose 
of  nasty  medicine!  He,  himself,  had  been  ill  the 
week  before,  and  he  knew  how  well-nigh  impossible 
a  feat  it  was! 

Teachers  will  be  able  to  recall  many  instances  of 
childhood's  directness  of  vision,  and  Parents  who 
read  this  chapter  can,  I  am  sure,  duplicate  these  by 
scores. 

The  following  conversation  actually  took  place 
between  myself  and  one  of  our  children.  Of 
my  own  part  in  it,  it  is  needless  to  say  that  I  feel 
heartily  ashamed — as,  indeed,  I  am  too  apt  to  feel 
in  conversation  with  children.  We  were  on  our 
way  down  town  of  a  Sunday  at  just  the  hour  when 
people  were  going  home  from  the  different  churches. 
We  met  a  friend  and  I  asked  him  if  church  was  out, 
meaning  of  course  our  own  church. 


POINTS   OP   VIEW  77 

The  Boy.  Did  he  say  church  was  out? 

I.  Yes. 

The  Boy.  Well,  what's  it  out  of? 

I.  'Wh}^  he  just  meant  that  it  was  over. 

The  Boy.  Over?     Over  what? 

I.  There!  There!  The  church  is  through;  that 
is  all. 

The  Boy.  Through!  I  don't  see  what  it's 
through. 

I.  Why,  stop  teasing,  child;  he  just  meant  that 
church  is  all  done. 

Probably  I  had  spoken  a  little  impatiently,  for  the 
Boy  subsided.  We  walked  along  quietly  for  a  short 
time,  and  I  had  dismissed  the  incident  from  my 
mind,  when  suddenly  he  piped  up  plaintively: 

"  Well,  who  did  it  ?  I  thought  it  was  all  done  a 
long  time  ago." 

The  poor  child  had  never  thought  of  the  word 
church  as  meaning  anything  but  the  edifice;  and 
now  I  was  all  humiliation  for  my  stupidity,  and  ad- 
miration for  his  persistence  in  getting  set  straight. 

This  unswerving  directness  has  always  been  to  me 
a  most  fascinating  attribute  of  childhood.  A  four- 
year-old  friend  of  mine  had  been  to  a  party  When 
she  got  home  her  father  asked  her,  "  Who  was  the 
prettiest    child   there?"   "Marguerite   Davis   was," 


78  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

she  replied.  "And  who  was  the  smartest?"  contin- 
ued the  foolish  father.  ''I  was,"  she  promptly  an- 
swered. No  conceit  in  that;  not  a  bit!  The  simple 
statement  of  facts  in  answer  to  questions,  as  she  had 
been  taught  to  give  them. 

We  need  never  expect  children  to  see  things  as  we 
see  them.  They  will  never  do  it.  Eecall  how 
wrong  (?)  a  child's  sense  of  proportion  is  by  our 
reckoning.  He  reckons  with  his  own  little  self  as 
a  standard  of  size.  I  once  visited  a  town  in  Ver- 
mont where  I  had  lived  for  a  couple  of  years  when  a 
small  child.  I  remembered  the  exciting  times  we 
children  used  to  have  climbing  up  and  scrambling 
down  a  big,  high,  long,  hill,  on  our  way  to  and  from 
school,  and  I  expressed  a  wish  to  my  host  to  revisit 
the  "  little  red  school-house."  But  he  could  not 
locate  it.  "  It  must  be  such  and  such  a  school- 
house,"  he  said  at  last,  "  but  there  is  no  hill  near 
it."  However,  we  drove  over  to  it.  I  recognised 
the  place,  but  where  was  our  "  big,  high,  long,  hill  "? 
It  was  a  gentle,  not-to-be-noticed  slope!  Verily,  a 
child's  eyes  are  not  as  a  man's  eyes!  It  used  to  be 
huge  and  frightful,  with  its  army  of  geese  at  the  top 
ready  to  waylay  you  and  gobble  you  up! 

How  this  difference  in  point  of  view  takes  the 
naturalness  out  of  many  of  our  "  Natural  Methods/' 


POINTS   OF   VIEW  79 

is  sometimes  pathetic,  sometimes  amusing.  There 
was  once  upon  a  time  an  enthusiastic  vender  of 
"  Natural-Method "  maps  who  appeared  in  our 
neighbourhood.  He  had  a  beguiling  pictorial  map  of 
the  United  States,  which  showed  at  sight,  the 
various  conditions  of  things  all  over  our  country. 
It  was  a  very  speaking  map.  There  were  pictures 
of  mines,  of  ship-building  yards,  of  factories,  all 
located  in  their  appropriate  states.  Scarce  one  of 
us  in  the  vicinity  but  bought  that  map!  We  spread 
ours  out  triumphantly  before  our  little  girl  and 
awaited  comments.  She  looked  at  it  long  and 
speculatively.  Calculation  was  in  her  eye  as  it 
travelled  back  and  forth  between  Mexico  and  the 
picture  of  Brigham  Young,  with  his  family  of 
wives  and  children,  standing  up  in  a  row  in  Utah  to 
represent  Mormonism.  She  drew  a  sigh  of  content- 
ment and  remarked,  "  "Well,  I'm  glad  I've  got  a  map, 
at  last,  big  enough  to  show  the  people  on  it.  It 
would  take  just  about  six  men,  taking  hold  of  hands, 
to  reach  across  Mexico." 

But  this  incident  belongs  in  the  "  Natural 
Method  "  chapter,  in  dealing  with  which,  our  ability 
to  go  over  to  childhood's  point  of  view  will  be  put 
to  severe  test,  for  no  method  is  a  natural  one  which 
does  not  do  that. 


80  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

Do  you  never  dream  away  valuable  time  looking 
back  and  viewing  things  from  the  centre  of  your 
long-ago  child  horizon?  I  smile  again  and  a^ain  as 
I  recall  my  first  lesson  in  History.  I  had 
"  skipped  "  the  class  which  "  began  "  History.  I 
was  looking  forward  with  eager  importance  to  the 
great  event  of  adding  this  very  dignified  study  to 
my  already  imposing  list.  "  Worcester's  Universal 
History/' — my  contemj)oraries  will  remember  it, — 
was  put  into  my  hands,  and  I  was  directed  to  learn  a 
page  of  it. 

"In  1770  Lord  North  was  appointed  Prime 
Minister  of  England  and  all  the  duties  were  re- 
pealed except  a  tax  of  three  pence  a  pound  upon 
tea." 

It  remains  with  me  to  this  day,  as  do  so  many 
things  which  I  memorised  literally.  First,  I 
reverently  looked  the  book  through.  A  history  of 
the  whole  world!  I  reflected,  that  if  I  should  but 
commit  that  book  to  memory  entire,  I  should  know 
all  history,  and  I  then  and  there  resolved  to  do  it. 
History,  at  least,  should  be  settled  once  and  forever 
for  me.  But  it  wouldn't  do  to  fail  in  my  first 
lesson,  so,  with  elbows  on  desk  and  chin  in  hands, 
I  got  me  down  to  work.  "  In  1770."  How  pretty 
those  twin  7's  looked!     That  was  easy  to  remember. 


POINTS   OF  VIEW  81 

**'Lord  North."  Were  there  also  Lords  South  and 
East  and  West?  Probably.  And  what  was  a 
Lord,  anyway?  I  thought  there  was  but  one  Lord, 
the  one  who  made  Heaven  and  Earth.  No  matter, 
I  had  better  go  ahead  and  learn  it.  "  Was  ap- 
pointed Prime  Minister."  Deeper  and  deeper.  Of 
course  I  knew  what  a  minister  was;  I  saw  ours 
every  Sunday,  but  I  didn't  know  whether  he  was  a 
prime  one  or  not.  "  Of  England."  Ah,  now  I 
was  on  familiar  ground.  I  knew  all  about  Eng- 
land; it  was  that  little  red  country  up  in  the  top 
left-hand  corner  of  the  map,  with  Scotland  for  a 
head  and  Wales  in  its  lap,  and  Ireland  close  by. 
"  And  all  the  duties  were  repealed."  Oh,  dear!  Of 
course  I  knew  what  duties  were;  I  had  had  that 
dinned  into  me  often  enough,  but  what  did  "re- 
pealing" them  mean?  And  by  the  time  I  had  got 
to  that  "  tax  of  three  pence  upon  tea,"  I  knew  I 
was  utterly  beyond  all  possibility  of  comprehend- 
ing things.  So  I  concluded  that  the  best  thing 
I  could  do  was  to  hurry  up  and  learn  the  whole 
thing  as  fast  as  I  could;  which  was  an  exceedingly 
wise  decision,  and,  which,  half  an  hour  later, 
brought  sweet  solace  in  the  form  of  praise  for  learn- 
ing my  lesson  so  well! 

What    better    was    to    be   expected    of    me   with 


82  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

the  judgment  of  but  twelve  years  at  my  service? 
Judgment  is  the  result  of  experience,  and  this  was 
my  very  first  experience  in  history!  I  think  it  was 
Jean  Paul  who  declared  that  he  "  would  as  soon 
require  a  child  to  have  five  feet  in  height  as  to  have 
judgment  and  proportion  at  the  age  of  ten." 
Much  so-called  naughtiness  is  simply  inability  to 
judge  of  what  adults  call  right  and  wrong.  It  is 
not  wrong  in  itself,  for  little  boys  to  dig  caves  and 
live  romantic,  fancy-free  lives  in  them, — provided 
they  know  how  and  when  and  where  to  do  it,  to  fit 
the  convenience  of  their  elders.  But  how  are  the 
little  things  to  judge  of  all  that?  If  they  are  left 
to  themselves,  and  they  judge  wrongly  of  the  how 
and  the  where  and  the  when,  or  don't  think  to  judge 
at  all,  but  just  follow  play  instinct  and  go  ahead, 
should  they  then  be  punished?  Or  should  they  be 
lovingly  taught?  I  give  you  the  story  of  it  and 
you  shall  judge.  I  quote  it  from  Jane  Addams' 
most  instructive  book,  Democracy  and  Social 
Ethics. 

"  Three  boys,  aged  seven,  nine,  and  ten,  were  once 
brought  into  a  neighbouring  police  station  under  the 
charge  of  pilfering  and  destroying  property.  They 
had  dug  a  cave  under  a  railroad  viaduct  in  which 
they  had  spent  many  days  and  nights  of  the  summer 


POINTS  OF -VIEW  83 

vacation.  They  had  '  swiped '  potatoes  and  other 
vegetables  from  hucksters'  carts  which  they  had 
cooked  in  true  brigand  fashion;  they  had  decorated 
the  interior  of  the  excavation  with  stolen  junk, 
representing  swords  and  firearms  to  their  romantic 
imaginations.  The  father  of  the  ring-leader  was  a 
janitor,  living  in  a  building  five  miles  away  in  a 
prosperous  portion  of  the  city.  The  landlord  did 
not  want  an  active  boy  in  the  building,  and  his 
mother  was  dead.  The  janitor  paid  for  the  boy's 
board  and  lodging  to  a  needy  woman  living  near  the 
viaduct.  She  conscientiously  gave  him  his  break- 
fast and  supper  and  left  something  in  the  house  for 
his  dinner  every  morning  when  she  went  to  work  in 
a  neighbouring  factory;  but  she  was  too  tired  at 
night,  to  challenge  his  statement  that  he  would 
rather  sleep  outdoors  in  summer,  or  to  investigate 
what  he  did  during  the  day.  In  the  mean  time  the 
three  boys  lived  in  a  world  of  their  own,  made  up 
from  the  reading  of  adventurous  stories  and  their 
vivid  imaginations,  steadily  pilfering  more  and  more 
as  the  days  went  by,  and  actually  imperilling  the 
safety  of  the  traffic  passing  over  the  street  on  the 
top  of  the  viaduct.  In  spite  of  vigorous  exertions 
on  their  behalf,  one  of  the  boys  was  sent  to  the 
Eeform  School,  comforting  himself  with  the  con- 


84  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

elusive  remark,  '  Well,  we  had  fun,  anyway,  and 
rasryhe  they  will  let  us  dig  a  cave  at  the  school.  It 
is  in  the  country,  where  we  can't  hurt  anything.'  " 

Poor  little  fellows!  They  ought,  of  course,  to 
have  been  chidden;  no,  on  second  thought,  remem- 
bering that  they  had  never  been  taught,  I  am  not 
so  sure  of  that.  I  think  their  doings  should  have 
been  ignored;  that  they  should  simply  have  been 
taken  care  of.  Who  could  help  inwardly  admiring 
their  skill,  and  their  good  taste  in  not  sitting  pas- 
sively on  the  filthy  door-steps  of  their  inhospitable 
"homes"  and  idling  away  their  time?  It  was  so 
much  more  manly  to  provide  themselves  a  place  to 
live  in!  These  children  should  have  been  put 
where  they  could  have  passed  through  their  cave- 
dwelling  epoch  under  si-mpathy  and  guidance. 
Was  it  not,  I  ask,  a  crime  to  send  that  ten-year-old 
boy  to  a  Reform  School?  A  stain  left  for  life  on 
his  good  name!  He  did  not  need  reform!  He 
needed  opportunity!  Shame  upon  civilisation! 
How  bewildered  children  must  become  when  we  deal 
with  them  like  that!  These  boys  were  regarding 
things  directly  from  their  own  point  of  view;  they 
were  instinctively  following  out  the  law  of  self- 
interest.  So  mature  an  element  as  judgment  did 
not  even  enter  in!     "  Childhood,"  says  Eousseau, 


POINTS   OF   VIEW  85 

''has  ways  of  thinking  and  feeling  peculiar  to  itself; 
nothing  is  more  absurd  than  to  wish  to  substitute 
ours  in  its  place."  Nothing  is  more  absurd  than  to 
think  that  we  can. 

It  is  on  account  of  his  limited  horizon,  beyond 
which  a  child  can  only  dream,  that  he  cannot  be 
much  influenced  by  promises  of  distant  rewards. 
His  life  is  lived  almost  strictly  in  the  present.  "  A 
bird  in  the  hand  is  worth  twa  fleein'  by!  "  and  the 
more  so,  that  the  limited  vision  does  not  even  see 
the  "  twa  fleein'  by."  Nor  would  we  wish  it  other- 
wise. Who  would  like  free-hearted,  spontaneous 
childhood  weighted  with  the  care  which  Ave  are 
forced  to  carry?  It  is  right  for  childhood,  even  as 
it  is  disgrace  for  maturity,  to 

"  Take  the  cash  and  let  the  credit  go, 
Nor  heed  the  rumbling  of  a  distant  drum." 

Woe  to  him  who  deprives  childhood  of  its  birth- 
right, which  is  opportunity  to  unfold  and  develop  it- 
self in  the  midst  of  freedom  and  love  and  beauty. 
It  is  not  because  children  are  "  little  animals,"  that 
they  are  so  intent  upon  present  and  material  things. 
The  physical  part  mnst  develop  first.  It  is  Nature 
taking  care  of  her  own;  she  is  right  in  not  trusting 
vs;  we  are  not  yet  to  be  trusted.     We  have  not  yet 


86  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

educated  ourselves  to  follow  the  call  of  the  good 
Froebel,  "  Come,  let  us  live  with  our  children."  It 
it  easier,  and  it  takes  less  wisdom,  to  call  our 
children  to  come  and  live  with  us;  and  we  think  it 
amounts  to  the  same  thing. 

It  is,  however,  fixed  decisively,  that  children  can- 
not come  up  and  see  things  from  our  higher  point  of 
view.  If  we  are  wise,  we  may  and  must  come  down 
to  theirs.  Children  see  things  in  which  they  them- 
selves are  interested,  and  they  will  with  difficulty 
be  made  to  see  much  of  anything  else.  Moreover, 
each  one  sees  things  in  his  own  way  and  will  with 
difficulty  be  made  to  see  it  in  any  other  way.  Let 
us,  then,  hold  ourselves  in  responsive,  sympathetic 
'attitude  in  our  communings  with  children,  and 
slowly  and  leisurely  invite  confidence.  We  shall 
then  get  glimpses  into  a  most  refreshing  child- 
world;  shall  behold  things  again  with  the  eyes  which 
used  to  be  ours  so  long  ago.  We  shall  become  little 
children  again,  perhaps,  and  so  be  able  to  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  Heaven. 

One  of  our  children  expressed  himself  earlier  and 
more  fully  than  the  others,  and  his  little  speeches 
were  veritable  revealings  of  baby  points  of  view. 
Out  on  the  water  in  a  row-boat  at  fifteen  months  of 
age,  he  waved  his  wee  hand  to  take  in  the  scene  and 


POINTS  OP  VIEW  87 

said  in  awe-struck  tone,  "  Big  tub!     Full  o'  water!  " 
— his  conception  of  the  ocean! 

We  had  been  accustomed  to  let  this  child  take  the 
glass  in  his  own  hand  with  an  inch  of  water  in  it 
and  manage  the  business  himself,  when  he  wanted  a 
drink.  One  day  a  visiting  friend  offered  him  his 
"jink  o'  water."  He  did  not  immediately  take  it, 
but  stood  gazing  at  it  solemnly  with  big  eyes. 
Finally  he  stretched  forth  his  tiny  hands  and  ex- 
claimed, with  drawn-out  emphasis  on  the  word 
"  big  ":  "  B-i-g  water!  Baby  jink  it  all  up!  "  Sure 
enough!  The  glass  was  a  third  full!  Suppose 
yourself  to  have  been  accustomed  to  drink  from  a 
glass  gallon  measure  with  a  pint  of  water  in  it,  and 
to  have  all  at  once  been  promoted  to  having  two  or 
three  quarts!  No  wonder  the  little  man  rolled  up 
his  sleeves  and  took  both  hands  to  it! 

A  moment's  reflection  will  quickly  lead  one  to 
realise  how  the  material  world  about  a  child  is  not 
at  all  of  the  same  proportions  or  perspective  that  it 
is  to  us.  How  can  a  child,  for  instance,  see  things 
as  we  do,  in  a  home-world  where  the  rooms  are  four 
times  his  height,  more  or  less;  pictures  hung  high 
up  over  his  head,  tables  on  a  level  with  his  chin  or 
the  crown  of  his  head? — everything  arranged  to 
fit,  not  him,  but  the  adults?     Out  rowing  the  other 


88  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

day  I  got  hold  of  an  extra  heavy  pair  of  oars,  and 
being  annoyed  by  it,  I  reflected,  very  likely  on  ac- 
count of  having  been  at  work  upon  this  chapter, 
that,  after  all,  they  were  of  about  the  same  size 
proportionately,  as  the  pair  the  boy  rows  with  all 
the  time! 

It  is  fair  to  conclude  that  children's  mental  and 
moral  perspectives  are  as  much  at  variance  with 
ours  as  is  their  material.  How  that  thought, 
sympathetically  applied,  illumines  many  an  other- 
wise inexplicable  saying  or  performance  of  child- 
hood! Oftentimes  makes  even  praiseworthy,  what 
had  seemed  like  naughtiness! 

But  enough.  We  may  not  wonder  that  children 
fashion  worlds  of  their  own  to  live  in;  surely  very 
little  of  ours  is  fitted  to  them.  Civilisation  is  for 
"  grown-ups."  That  is  right,  too,  only  let  us  realise 
it  as  we  deal  with  the  children,  and  ever  bear  in 
mind  that  we  are  at  home  while  they  are  in  an  alien 
land. 


VI 

INDIVIDUALITY 

"  A  farmer  in  Bungleton  had  a  colt 

That  couldn't  be  taught  to  moo, 
And  he  kept  his  cow  under  lock  and  bolt 

Till  the  smith  could  make  her  a  shoe. 
His  ducks  wouldn't  gobble,  his  geese  wouldn't  quack; 

His  cat  wouldn't  bark  at  all ! 
'  I'm  clean  discouraged,'  he  cried,  'Alack  ! 

I'll  give  up  my  farm  in  the  Fall  ! '  " 

"  To  teach  men  how  they  may  grow  independently  and  fof 
themselves,  is,  perhaps,  the  greatest  service  that  one  man  can 
do  for  another." — Jowett,  in  a  letter  to  Palgrave. 

Bungleton  is  a  most  discouraging  place  in  which 
to  get  an  education.  Would  that  every  Bungleton 
teacher  would  give  up  his  school  in  the  Fall! 

"  What    knowledge    is    of    most    worth? "    asks 

Spencer.     President  Jordan  answers  it  in  his  little 

S       book,  The  Voice  of  the  Scholar:  "  It  is  clear  that  the 

^      knowledge   is   of   most   worth   which   can   be   most 

^      directly  wrought  into  the  fabric  of  our  lives.     That 

discipline  is  most  valuable  which  will  best  serve  us  in 

quietly  unfolding  our  own  individualities." 

The  passionate  longing  of  every  true  educator, 
'-  89 


90  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

whether  Pedagogue  or  Parent,  is  that  our  schools 
may  become  the  place  where  children  shall  be  as- 
sisted, each  individually,  to  attain  to  his  highest 
possibilities  of  power  and  enjoyment.  This  longing 
is  apparent  in  every  worthy  book  on  the  subject  of 
Education.  It  is  an  anxious  concern  in  the  heart 
of  every  worthy  Parent.  This  chapter,  it  shall  be 
announced  at  the  outset,  is  a  plea  for  the  children 
to  be  allowed,  both  at  home  and  at  school,  to  be  and 
act  themselves  in  the  present,  and  be  helped  to 
become,  each  his  own  particular  ideal  self,  in  the 
future.     What  but  that,  is  true  Education? 

In  Mr.  Adams'  before-mentioned  account  of  the 
schools  at  the  time  of  the  "  New  Departure  "  in 
Quincy,  he  gives  an  account  of  an  examination  by 
the  state  authorities  of  Massachusetts,  which  was 
held  to  probe  into  the  condition  of  school  affairs. 
He  affirms,  that  in  the  papers  returned  by  the 
children,  there  were  actually  employed  fifty-eight 
wrong  ways  of  spelling  "  which,"  one  hundred  and 
eight  of  "  whose,"  and  two  hundred  and  twenty-one 
of  "  scholar  "!  Concern  for  the  youngsters  is  lost 
sight  of  in  curiosity  about  this  puzzle.  Some  of  us 
set  about  making  a  list  of  those  possible  spellings. 
"Which,  whitch,  wich,  wch,  wuch,  whuch,  whutch, 
wuch,  wutch,  wach,  watch,  wech,  wetch; "  then  all 


INDR'IDUALITY  91 

these  over  again  beginning  with  "  hw  "  instead  of 
"  wh,"  for  'you  will  admit  that  it  is  pronounced 
"  hw  "  and  not  "  wh."  Then  duplicate  again,  begin- 
ning with  "  her,"  as  "  herwich,"  then  still  again, 
beginning  with  "  hur  ";  and  still  again  with  "  hu  " 
(pronounced  huh),  etc.  No  one  but  a  teacher  in  the 
North  End  of  Boston,  or  the  East  Side  of  New 
York,  would  instinctively  realise  the  number  of 
ways  that  word  "  which  "  can  be  pronounced,  and 
children  spell  as  they  pronounce. 

Much  amusement  may  be  got  from  all  that,  cer- 
tainly, but  also  much  more  than  amusement.  One 
gets  from  it  a  revelation  of  the  many  and  marvellous 
ways  there  are  of  coming  at  a  thing.  And  I  main- 
tain that  if  children,  left  to  themselves,  show  up  so 
many  ways  of  coming  at  the  sound  of  a  simple  word 
like  "  which,"  then  surely  we  ought  to  be  humble 
about  believing  that  we  can  invent  for  them  a  one 
and  only  way  by  which  they  may  all  be  brought 
"  naturally  "  to  the  appreciation  of  any  idea.  Does 
not  the  incident  throw  a  flood  of  illumination  upon 
the  workings  of  a  child's  mind? 

Although  educated  people  have  been  allowed  the 
privilege  of  doing  it  up  to  within  a  few  generations, 
we  know  that  we  cannot  allow  children  to  spell 
"which,"  and  other  words,  each  according  to  his 


92  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

particular  fancy^  during  too  many  of  their  years. 
For  all  that,  many  of  us  Parents  would  like  to  see 
children  come  at  things  more  after  their  own 
fashion,  and  to  come  at  more  things  which  are 
their  own  heart's  desire.  We  are  waiting  with  pa- 
tience for  the  coming  of  the  child  millennium,  when 
the  Committee-of-fifteen,  hard-and-fast,  no-sop-to- 
individuality  curriculum,  shall  be  a  thing  of  the 
past;  when  the  fine  educational  "  plant," — the 
beautiful  buildings  and  apparatus,  which  the  zeal 
of  the  past  generation  has  given  us, — shall  be  devoted 
to  the  education  of  children,  not  en  masse,  but  of 
each  particular  child.  This  should  be  the  next  step 
in  educational  progress.  Childhood  starts  out  in 
infinite  variety,  which  is  its  chief  charm.  Your 
boy,  perhaps,  has  lively  fancies  and  poetic  imagin- 
ings and  delights  in  worlds  of  his  own  creation;  is, 
maybe,  intended  by  Nature  for  a  Hawthorne  or  a 
Kipling.  Mine,  an  incipient  Edison,  possibly,  goes 
into  rapt  ecstasies  over  batteries,  and  motors,  dis- 
courses easily  of  death  currents  and  safe  ones,  and 
spends  all  his  surplus  time  and  money  on  things 
electrical.  Let  each  have  his  opportunity.  Give 
Nature  free  scope  to  work  her  will  with  these  self- 
impelled  children  of  hers.  Alas!  It  may  not  be. 
The   programme    of    the    august    Committee   must 


INDIVIDUALITY  93 

gather  them,  all  alike,  into  its  machinery.  For  were 
not  these  men  two  long  years  fashioning  and  perfect- 
ing this  curriculum  ?  And  "  Are  they  not  all  hon- 
ourable men?  " 

How  we  hammer  away  at  our  children!  Never 
mind  which  iron  is  hot  or  cold,  strike!  Then  w^e 
wonder,  in  our  "  adult  egotism,"  why  our  pounding 
does  not  fashion  our  model!  And  whose  is  it  to 
see  that  this  wrong  is  righted?  Certain  it  is,  that 
the  Pedagogues  will  keep  the  educational  machinery 
well  oiled  and  running  at  full  speed;  but  it  is  we, 
not  the  Pedagogues,  to  whom  it  is  given  to  protect 
the  individual  child.  The  Pedagogue  at  the 
throttle,  the  Parent  at  the  brake!  We  should  slow 
down! 

Who  would  not  like  to  return  to  the  charming 
simplicity  of  the  old  Greeks?  Is  it  Huxley,  or  is  it 
Davidson, — no  matter  who  it  is,  many  say  it, — who 
avers  that  the  intellectual  development  of  the 
ancient  Greeks  was  as  much  above  ours,  as  ours  is 
above  that  of  the  South  African  negro.  Can  we 
resist  the  temptation  to  account  partly  for  that 
fact,  if  fact  it  be,  by  the  exceeding  simplicity  of 
their  methods  of  Education?  No  foreign  languages 
to  acquire,  little  geography,  no  arithmetic  worth 
mentioning,  no  two-year  courses  of  five  periods  per 


94  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

week  each  in  algebra  and  geometry.  For  history 
and  literature,  the  beautiful  stories  of  Homer, 
recited  to  the  eager  youth.  For  lessons  in  govern- 
ment, silent  attendance  upon  the  law-makers. 
Plenty  of  time  for  growing;  for  thinking  one's  own 
fresh  young  thoughts!  for  developing! 

The  most  pathetic  figure  within  the  educational 
horizon  during  this  past  four  years,  has  been,  per- 
haps, the  deaf  and  blind  Helen  Keller  pursuing  her 
way,  all  unconscious  of  her  own  heroism,  through 
Radcliffe  College.  I  quote  you  one  of  her  themes, 
fingered  forth  upon  her  type-writer,  and  ask  you  if 
the  pathos  pervading  it  is  not  a  thing  for  which  we 
others,  with  our  full  number  of  senses,  should  ask 
her  forgiveness. 

"  There  are  disadvantages,  I  find,  in  going  to 
college.  The  one  I  feel  most  is  lack  of  time.  I 
used  to  have  time  to  think,  to  reflect,  my  mind  and 
I;  we  would  sit  together  of  an  evening  and  listen  to 
the  inner  melodies  of  the  spirit  which  one  hears 
only  in  leisure  moments,  when  the  words  of  some 
loved  poet  touch  a  deep,  sweet  chord  in  the  soul 
that  has  been  silent  until  then.  But  in  college 
there  is  no  time  to  commune  with  one's  thoughts. 
One  goes  to  college  to  learn,  not  to  think,  it  seems. 
When  one  enters  the  portals  of  learning,  one  leaves 


INDIVIDUALITY  96 

the  dearest  pleasures; — solitude^  books  and  imagina- 
tion,— outside  with  the  whispering  pines  and  the 
sun-lit,  odorous  woods.  I  suppose  I  ought  to  find 
some  comfort  in  the  thought  that  I  am  laying  up 
treasures  for  future  enjoyment;  but  I  am  improvi- 
dent enough  to  prefer  present  joy  to  hoarding  riches 
against  a  rainy  day. 

"  It  is  impossible,  I  think,  to  read  four  or  five  dif- 
ferent books  in  different  languages  and  treating  of 
widely  different  subjects  in  one,  and  not  lose  sight 
of  the  very  ends  for  which  one  reads,  mental  stimulus 
and  enrichment.  When  one  reads  hurriedly  and  pro- 
miscuously, one's  mind  becomes  encumbered  with  a 
lot  of  choice  bric-a-brac  for  which  there  is  very 
little  use.  Just  now  my  mind  is  so  full  of  hetero- 
geneous matter  that  I  almost  despair  of  ever  being 
able  to  put  it  in  order.  Whenever  I  enter  the 
region  that  was  the  kingdom  of  my  mind,  I  feel  like 
the  proverbial  bull  in  the  china-shop.  A  thousand 
odds  and  ends  of  knowledge  come  crashing  about 
my  head  like  hail-stones,  and  when  I  try  to  escape 
them,  theme-goblins  and  college  nixies  of  all  sorts 
pursue  me,  until  I  wish, — Oh,  may  I  be  forgiven 
the  wicked  wish! — that  I  might  smash  the  idols 
that  I  came  to  worship." 

Under  the  guidance   of  a  seeing  mind,   Helen 


96  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

Keller  has,  up  to  the  present  time,  developed  with  a 
rapidity  which  seems  a  miracle.  She  is  like  a  child 
of  the  entire  public;  so  affectionately  interested  are 
we  all  in  her  progress  and  welfare.  We  look  on  in 
a  sort  of  dazed  wonderment.  If  we  are  still  to  be 
allowed  to  follow  her  career,  we  shall  watch  with 
desire  to  know  whether  she  profits  by  this  hail- 
storm of  knowledge,  whether  she  succeeds  in  escap- 
ing from  the  goblins  and  nixies  which  pursue  her, 
or,  whether  she  smashes  her  idols, — as  so  many  of 
our  youth  ultimately  do.  Will  it  all  arrest  her  past 
wonderful  rate  of  development?  Will  it,  as  is 
the  function  of  Education  to  do,  bring  to  fulfilment 
the  rich  promise  of  childhood?  Personally  I  gasp 
with  reverent  awe  as  I  ask  myself  these  questions. 

Previous  to  the  time  of  her  entering  into  the  toils 
of  college-preparatory  work.  Miss  Keller's  education 
had  proceeded  along  lines  natural  and  delightful 
to  her  own  particular  self.  Every  iron  struck  had 
been  a  hot  one;  and  time  had  been  taken  for  the 
hammering  of  each  iron  exactly  to  its  need;  then 
suddenly  she  entered  into  a  contract  with  a  stiff, 
prescribed  "  course."  I  experienced  a  feeling  of 
genuine  dismay  when  I  came  upon  her  statement 
that  her  principal,  in  spite  of  her  having  "  no 
aptitude  in  mathematics,"  "  had  agreed  that  that 


INDIVIDUALITY  97 

year  I  should  study  mathematics  principally.  I  had 
physics,  algebra,  geometry,  astronomy,  Greek  and 
Latin."  Was  it  not  almost  a  foregone  conclusion 
that  her  principal's  next  duty  should  be  to  declare 
that  she  was  "  working  too  hard,"  and  insist  upon 
the  cutting  down  of  her  recitations?  Possibly  if 
she  could  have  had  a  small  portion  of  genuine  soul- 
nourishment  along  with  mathematical  training,  the 
subsequent  unpleasant  break  need  not  have  oc- 
curred. At  all  events,  it  is  to  the  credit  of  the 
human  soul  that  it  is  so  automatically  rebellious 
under  certain  conditions.  Our  physical  system 
would  be  equally  rebellious  if  we  were  to  offer  it  a 
diet  of  all  solid  meat;  no  appetising  soup,  no  dainty 
dessert.  Was  it  any  marvel,  that,  after  examina- 
tions were  successfully  over,  she  should  write  exult- 
ingly  to  a  friend,  "  I've  said  good-bye  to  mathe- 
matics forever,  and  I  assure  you,  I  was  delighted  to 
see  the  last  of  those  horrid  goblins!  " 

It  is  not  a  Helen  Keller  alone  who  spends  hours 
of  seemingly  improfitable  study  over  mathematics, 
only  to  exultantly  leave  them  behind  forever.  It 
does  surely  seem  an  important  thing,  and  is  nearly 
always  a  pleasurable  one,  for  even  unmathematical 
minds,  to  make  some  acquaintance  with  algebra  and 
geometry,   to   become   a   little    familiar   with    the 


98  PEDAGOGUES  AND   PARENTS 

harmony  and  trend  of  mathematics,  to  feel  a  friend- 
ship with  X,  y  and  z,  to  feel  at  home  in  the  relation- 
ship of  the  diameter,  circumference,  and  area  of 
circles,  and  the  like  things,  which  have  connection 
with  the  world  and  life.  But,  looking  at  it  from 
any  side,  it  seems  to  me  unpardonable,  even  cruel, 
to  require  the  eager  student,  aiming  at  success  in 
Art,  Music,  or  Literature;  Divinity,  the  Law,  or 
Medicine,  to  pause  and  give  valuable,  and  often  ill- 
afforded  hours,  to  the  abstractions  of  difficult  ex- 
amples in  the  Binomial  Theorem  and  Simultaneous 
Quadratics.  I  am  not  pedagogically  trained,  and 
am  perfectly  conscious  that  I  am  not  qualified  to 
offer  a  professional  opinion  on  such  matters.  I 
only  offer  these  opinions  as  the  strong  feeling  of  a 
practical  Parent,  in  sympathy  with  ambitious  youth 
who  desire  to  make  a  career  for  themselves,  in  this 
highly  competitive  and  highly  specialising  age,  and 
who  yet  desire  to  feel  that  they  are  liberally 
educated.  Remembering  that  it  is  only  to  "  the 
mind  which  loves  it "  that  any  study  gives  true 
discipline,  it  does  seem  that  in  the  immensity  of 
knowledge,  there  should  be  many  other  forms  than 
mathematics,  which  ought  to  be  acceptable  alter- 
natives in  entering  college.  And  even  for  those 
who  do  love  mathematics,  it  does  not  seem  to  be  a 


INDIVIDUALITY  99 

study  calculated  to  develop  power  in  thought  or 
action, — except  along  its  own  lines.  Indeed,  I 
believe  it  may  be  qviestioned  whether  mathematics 
does  not  actually  unfit  the  mind  for  other  and  less 
abstract  work.  For  those  not  classically  minded, 
there  has  been  provided  an  alternative  whereby 
students  may  enter  college  without  Greek.  The 
turn  of  the  unmathematically-minded  will  yet  come. 
But  enough. 

It  is  written  of  Browning:  "  The  boy  had  an  in- 
different experience  of  formal  schooling  in  his 
youth.  The  more  fertilising  influence  of  his  in- 
tellectual taste  was  found  in  his  father's  books." 

This  fact, — that  the  boy  or  the  girl  got  little  from 
the  school, — is  one  of  the  most  common  ones  in  the 
early  chapters  of  biography.  It  would  be  a  nar- 
rowly educated  person  who  left  out  of  his  life  every- 
thing not  on  the  track  of  his  particular  career;  yet 
in  these  days  one  cannot  be  expert  in  any  direction 
if  he  goes  to  great  length  in  others.  A  student 
expressed  the  idea  when  he  said  he  hoped  to  be  a 
jack  of  all  trades  and  a  master  of  one.  A  well-indi- 
vidualised character  has,  most  often  unconsciously, 
power  and  will  to  pass  by  what  it  cannot  assimilate. 
Such  minds  are  self -impelled  along  the  lines  which 
shall  furnish  their  spirit  with  real  nourishment^  even 


100  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

though  at  the  expense  of  school  and  college  honours. 
Greatness  cannot  be  run  into  moulds.  It  is  its  own 
ideal  toward  which  it  ever  aspires.  Thus  it  is  that 
those  destined  to  be  the  Great  Ones  of  earth  do  not 
by  any  means  always  le^t  their  greatness  appear  while 
at  school. 

But  the  greatness,  the  genius,  of  the  mass  of 
youth  is  not  thus  self-protected,  for  the  mass  of 
youth  is  not  "  great,"  is  not  strongly  individualised. 
The  hours  set  apart  for  education  should  not  be 
spent  in  "  Bungleton."  They  should  be  passed  in 
an  atmosphere  where  pupils  may  receive  "  the 
greatest  service  that  one  man  can  render  another," 
namely,  the  teaching  them  how  they  may  grow  inde- 
pendently. To  some  of  us  Parents,  the  seeming  loss 
of  personality  which  the  great  mass  of  our  youth 
sustain  in  the  getting  of  an  education,  is  dismaying 
in  the  extreme.  In  his  facetious,  but  deadly  serious 
manner,  Gerald  Stanley  Lee  bemoans  the  situa- 
tion: 

"  One  wonders  if  there  could  be  such  a  thing  as 
having  all  the  personalities  of  a  whole  generation 
lost.  One  looks  suspiciously  and  wistfully  at  the 
children  one  sees  in  the  schools.  One  wonders  if 
they  are  going  to  be  allowed,  like  their  fathers  and 
mothers,  to  have  personalities  to  lose.     I  have  all 


INDIVIDUALITY  101 

but  caught  myself  kidnapping  children  as  I  have 
watched  them  flocking  in  the  street.  I  have  wanted 
to  scurry  them  off  to  the  country,  a  few  of  them, 
almost  anywhere — for  a  few  years.  I  have  thought 
I  would  try  to  find  a  college  to  hide  them  in,  some 
back-county,  protected  college,  a  college  which  still 
has  the  emphasis  of  Persons  as  well  as  the  emphasis 
of  Things  upon  it.  Then  I  would  wait  and  see  what 
would  come  of  it.  I  would  at  least  have  a  little 
bevy  of  great  men  perhaps,  saved  out  for  a  genera- 
tion, enough  to  keep  the  world  supplied  with  sam- 
ples— to  keep  up  the  bare  idea  of  the  great  man,  a 
kind  of  isthmus  to  the  future." 

There  is  indeed,  I  am  perfectly  aware,  a  basic 
stratum  of  knowledge  which  all  should  acquire, — 
the  knowledge  which  is  necessary  to  enter  social, 
religious,  political,  and  business  life  and  play  our 
part.  But  all  the  first  educators  of  our  country, 
of  the  world  perhaps,  now  seem  to  agree  (theoreti- 
cally), that  this  common  foundation  is  a  small  one. 
For  instance,  concerning  Arithmetic,  Professor 
Hanus,  of  Harvard,  says  that  in  about  five  years, 
(by  eleven  years  of  age),  a  child  can  learn  all  the 
arithmetic  he  needs  for  the  ordinary  affairs  of  life 
and  for  further  progress  in  mathematics.  It  is  the 
same  with  all  the  fundamental  elements  in  Educa- 


102  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

tion.  They  should  receive  less  time  that  more  may 
be  given  to  following  out  the  individual  bent.  Presi- 
dent Eliot  but  voices  the  sentiment  of  almost  the 
entire  educational  van  when  he  writes: 

"  I  think  the  safest  way  in  the  education  of  a 
single  individual  child,  is  to  find  out,  if  you  can, 
what  that  individual  child  likes  most  in  the  way  of 
intellectual  exertion,  and  does  best  in  and  then  to 
see  to  it  that  that  child  gets  instruction  in 
that  thing,  if  he  gets  nothing  else." 

Bacon  preceded  President  Eliot  by  three  hundred 
years  in  this  thought, — "  The  natural  bent  of  in- 
dividual minds  should  be  so  far  encouraged  that  a 
scholar  who  shall  learn  all  that  is  required  of  him, 
may  be  allowed  time  in  which  to  pursue  a  favourite 
study." 

"  The  keys  to  interest  should  be  individual," 
writes  Professor  Search.  "  If  one  key  will  not 
answer,  another  should  be  tried  at  once.  Within 
every  heart  is  a  germ  of  divinity,  which  will  respond 
to  life  when  given  its  own  culture;  but,  to  any  great 
extent,  this  culture  is  not  possible  under  the  in- 
carceration of  uniformity." 

In  spite  of  a  strong  sentiment  to  the  contrary, 
which  pervades  all  educational  theory,  the  schools 
plod  steadily  on  in  their  relentless  grind,  putting 


INDIVIDUALITY  103 

your  gentle  poetic  Tom,  my  sturdy  mechanical  Dick, 
and  that  other  literary  Harry,  all  through  the  same 
paces  during  their  impressible  formative  years,  leav- 
ing them  no  time  or  energy  or  nerve  force  for  any 
"  favourite  study."  And  soon  their  years  of  study 
are  over;  it  is  too  late!  True,  on  their  atlases  they 
have  hunted  down  the  little  towns  which  are  the 
capitals  of  Idaho  and  Wyoming  and  the  rest;  they 
have  learned  that  the  Congaree  and  Wateree  unite 
to  form  the  Santee;  they  have  been  able  at  some  dim 
time  in  the  past,  though  it  may  be  like  a  dream  to 
them  now,  to  "  locate  nineteen  oriental  cities,  and 
tell  what  each  is  noted  for";  they  have  worried 
through  some  unpractical  sort  of  misty  half-knowl- 
edge of  bills  of  exchange,  bank  and  true  discount, 
and  perhaps  remember  a  little  of  it.  They  have 
learned  and  recited  and  received  due  credit  for  many 
things  which  we  have  decreed  that  they  ought  to 
know,  and  which  we  call  foundational  knowledge. 
Meanwhile  have  we  troubled  ourselves  to  discover 
whether  there  has  been  any  clearing  of  the  channels 
for  the  free  flowing  of  the  current  of  each  one's  own 
eager  thought?  Have  we  answered  their  own  ques- 
tions or  tried  to  satisfy  their  individual  longings? 
Have  we  been  a  cloud  by  day  and  a  fire  by  night  to 
guide  each  of  them  to  the  promised  land  toward 


104  TEPAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

which  he  himself  is  striving?  Or  has  our  "  adult 
egotism "  entirely  dominated  him?  These  ques- 
tions are  well  worth  answering. 

In  spite  of  x^rotest  after  protest  from  the  wisest 
of  every  age,  why  must  we  forever  keep  practice 
trailing  so  far  behind  theory?  It  is  b'ecause  we 
believe  so  fondly  in  our  little  worked-out  theories. 
Come  right  down  to  it,  we  hate  to  give  them  up. 
We  linger  lovingly  over  them.  "  The  prime  ob- 
stacle to  our  doing  the  best  that  might  be  done  for 
our  children,"  writes  Patterson  Du  Bois,  "  is  our 
adult  egotism."  Yea,  verily.  They  tell  us  it  is 
good  discipline  for  our  children,  to  be  put  relent- 
lessly through  those  studied-out  curricula.  One 
wonders!  Are  we  not  tickling  ourselves  with  a 
phrase?  Is  it,  then,  profitable  discipline  to  follow 
from  hour  to  hour,  day  after  day,  the  will  and  plans 
of  another?  Or  rather,  is  not  that  the  divine, 
character-forming  discipline  which  leads  us  to 
educate  and  control  our  own  will  and  follow  that? 
"  The  man  who  can  will  is  a  factor  in  the  universe." 
Even  the  brute  can  follow,  can  compass  blind  obedi- 
ence. Obedience  is  for  slaves;  not  too  much  of  it 
for  the  Sons  of  God  pursuing  their  far-away  ideals! 
Too  long  have  children  been  led  by  our  "  adult 
egotism."     Let  us  have  a  season  of  humility  and 


INDIVIDUALITY  105 

follow  their  lead  in  their  own  concerns.  "  To  fit 
man  into  schemes  of  Education  has  been  the  mis- 
take of  the  past.  To  fit  Education  to  man  is  the 
work  of  the  future,"  for  "  no  man  was  ever  well 
trained  whose  own  soul  was  not  wrought  into  the 
process.  No  student  was  ever  brought  to  any 
worthy  work  but  by  his  own  consent." 

"  Under  compulsion,  pupils  respond  to  external 
demands  only,"  says  Professor  Hanus;  "  they  know 
little  of  the  joy  of  achievement  and  of  the  pleasure 
of  intellectual  activity  in  general." 

"■  The  best  test  of  the  efficiency  of  an  educational 
method,"  says  James  L.  Hughes,  "  is  the  amount  of 
true  self-activity  it  requires  of  the  child  in  the 
originative,  directive,  and  executive  departments  of 
its  power." 

And  President  Jordan  tells  us  that  "  The  fact 
that  any  man  dares  to  specialise  at  all,  shows  that 
he  has  a  certain  independence  of  character;  for 
the  odds  are  against  it.  Specialisation  implies 
thoroughness,  and  I  believe  that  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  something  is  the  backbone  of  culture." 

Do  you  dream  then  from  all  that,  that  Parents 
should  go  into  the  schools  and  make  havoc  among 
the  really  fine  and  conscientious  things  that  are 
being  done  there?     Not   in  the  least.     I  am  no 


106  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

iconoclast.  I  know  well  that  nothing  can  be  done 
too  suddenly  in  the  schools.  Moreover,  I  know  that 
some  discipline  and  drill  are  necessary  in  the  forma- 
tion of  character,  some  literal  obedience  to  the  wis- 
dom of  a  trusted  leader.  But,  surely,  not  seven 
hours  of  it  a  day  in  childhood!  Large  bodies  move 
slowly;  yet  they  need  not  necessarily  move  too 
slowly.  Many  principals  and  teachers  frankly 
admit  the  sorrowfulness  of  the  situation  with  regard 
to  this  thing,  and  confess  to  us,  "  All  these  things 
are  really  so;  we  ourselves  have  very  different  and 
much  higher  ideals,  but  they  cannot  be  carried  out 
with  so  many  pupils.  When  each  teacher  has  forty, 
or  fifty,  or,  even  sixty,  pupils  in  charge,  we  cannot 
give  attention  to  individual  children.  Of  course  it 
ought  to  be  done,  but  it  cannot  be."  Ought  to  be, 
but  cannot  be!  Shame  on  such  cowardice!  Every- 
thing that  ought  to  be,  can  be.  This  thing  ought 
to  be,  and  it  can  be.  Did  it  ever  occur  to  any  one  to 
give  up  the  building  of  Brooklyn  Bridge,  or  the 
Boston  Subway,  on  account  of  stupendous  diffi- 
culties? 

We  do  not  often,  however,  give  the  children  in- 
dividual treatment,  even  when  it  is  easily  possible. 
The  idea  is  not  yet  sufficiently  in  the  air.  Think 
of   the   fine   individual    care   the   horse-breeder   or 


INDIVIDUALITY  107 

trainer  gives  to  each  animal  from  which  he  hopes 
blue  ribbon  or  purse! 

"  It  is  time,"  writes  Herbert  Spencer,  "  that  the 
benefits  which  our  sheep  and  oxen  have  for  years 
past  derived  from  the  investigations  of  the  lab- 
oratory, should  be  participated  in  by  our  children. 
Without  calling  in  question  the  great  importance  of 
horse-training  and  pig-feeding,  we  would  suggest 
that,  as  the  rearing  of  well-grown  men  and  women  is 
also  of  some  moment,  the  conclusions  indicated  by 
theory,  and  endorsed  by  practice,  ought  to  be  acted 
on  in  the  last  case  as  in  the  first." 

It  is  difficult,  it  is  well-nigh  impossible  now,  to 
give  a  child  the  proper  proportions  of  knowledge- 
getting  and  of  free  individual  development,  because 
the  idea  is  not  a  prevailing  one,  and  we  do  not  live 
to  ourselves  alone.  Man  is  a  gregarious  animal, 
and  cannot  be  rightly  educated  apart  from  his 
fellows.  But  it  is  from  the  parental  side,  and 
not  from  the  pedagogical,  that  a  new  atmosphere 
must  be  breezed  up.  It  cannot  too  often  be  reit- 
erated, that  it  is  naturally  to  the  Parent  that  a 
child  is  to  look  for  his  individual  protection  and 
care. 

If  we  could  but  get  both  Parents  and  Pedagogues 
filled  with  a  deep  inspiring  faith  in  the  impulses 


108       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

and  longings  which  may  at  all  times  he  ohserved  in 
children,  and  could  then  appoint  them  together'  on 
curricnlum  committees  and  Normal  School  faculties, 
we  should  not  send  our  teachers  forth  to  meet  the 
spontaneity  of  childhood,  armed  with  even  the  hest 
eight-year  curriculum  of  tasks  for  every  fifty- 
minute  period  between  the  ages  of  five  and  fifteen, 
and  fortified  with  half-a-thousand  wonder-working 
"  natural  methods."  We  should  send  them  forth 
with  a  great  reverence  for  childhood,  to  begin 
with, — reverence  for  all  childhood,  good  and  "  bad," 
attractive  and  unattractive.  We  should  fill  them 
brim-full  of  the  necessity  there  is  of  teaching  each 
child  to  "  let  himself  go,"  and  then  of  properly 
guiding  himself.  It  is  only  when  under  headway 
that  skilful  steering  can  be  done.  We  should  see  to 
it  that  the  young  men  and  women  intrusted  with 
the  teaching  of  our  children  are  filled  with  the  spirit 
of  the  New  Education,  which  imparts  a  love  of 
knowledge;  which  lifts  up  the  head  and  the  heart 
and  the  courage  of  childhood  and  youth,  and  faces 
them,  happy-hearted,  towards  ideals  of  their  own 
evolving;  which  hesitates  to  tread  upon  the  person- 
ality of  a  single  pupil,  recognising  that  to  destroy 
or  to  mar  that,  is  to  put  future  power  and  mastery 
in  highest  jeopardy. 


INDIVIDUALITY  109 

I  have  known  several  children  who,  by  some  acci- 
dent or  occasion,  were  freed  from  grown  people's 
schemes  and  methods,  and  have  almost  immediately 
shown  forth  brilliant  "  capability  and  god-like  rea- 
son "  which  had  been  rusting  within  them.  A  nine- 
year-old  friend  of  ours  developed  a  trouble  in  the 
eyes,  which  necessitated  either  leaving  school,  or  the 
wearing  of  glasses.  Her  parents  did  not  hesitate. 
She  was  taken  from  school,  given  a  very  few  daily 
lessons  to  "  keep  her  going,"  and  turned,  free  lance, 
into  the  open  air.  Forthwith  she  set  about  the 
writing  of  animal  stories  and  the  drawing  of 
animals,  and  calmly  announced  a  resolve  to  follow 
after  Bosa  Bonheur,  and  Remington,  and  Thompson 
Seton!  And  this  to  such  a  degree  that  the  impulse 
which  she  then  gave  herself  in  that  direction  bids 
fair  to  be  the  dominating  one  in  her  career. 

A  young  woman  of  my  acquaintance,  throwing 
heart  and  soul  into  work  along  the  lines  upon  which 
she  was  "  hot,"  had  achieved  a  triumph  in  historical 
research,  upon  which  I  was  one  day  congratulating 
her.     She  responded  to  me  with  regret  in  her  voice: 

"  Think  what  I  might  have  done  if  I  had  had  the 
full  training  in  Classics  and  Mathematics!  I  am 
thinking  seriously  of  stopping  to  get  it."  And  I 
replied  warningly:  "  At  your  peril!  " 


110  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

Respect  for  "  fundamental  knowledge,"  is  sound 
theory  certainly;  but  when  a  soul's  individuality  is 
strong  enough  to  boldly  take  its  own  flight,  it  will 
usually  have  magnetic  force  enough  to  trail  after 
it  the  things  fundamentally  necessary  to  its  particu- 
lar course.  The  stronger  the  soul,  the  greater  its 
longing,  "  Oh,  to  be  let  alone!  "  "  If  it  were  not  for 
schools,  I  believe  I  could  get  an  education! "  once 
moaned  a  young  woman  to  me,  and  I  knew  exactly 
what  she  meant. 

A  small  boy-friend  of  ours  had  been  in  school 
only  about  half,  or  at  most  two-thirds  of  the  school 
year,  for  two  successive  years,  and  yet  had  kept 
steadily  on  with  his  class.  Never  idle,  yet  without 
regular  lessons,  the  four  or  six  months  of  his  vaca- 
tion time  had  been  largely  spent  in  pursuing  his 
own  heart's  desires  with  intelligent  track-clearing 
ahead  of  his  schemes,  on  the  part  of  his  parents. 
After  one  of  his  returns  to  school,  his  being  able  to 
"  catch  up  "  and  continue  on  with  the  class,  was 
ascribed  to  his  being  "  an  absorptive  boy,"  and  of 
his  having  a  "  reasoning  mind."  The  teacher  ex- 
claimed with  enthusiasm  mingled  with  regret: 
"Where  would  he  have  been  if  he  had  been  kept 
regularly  at  school  ?  " 

"Possibly  it  is  because  of  his  irregularities  and 


INDIVIDUALITY  111 

his  seasons  of  free  activities,  and  not  in  spite  of 
them,  that  he  is  '  absorptive  and  has  a  reasoning 
mind,' "  we  suggested.  But  that  faithful  teacher 
knew  arithmetic.  Ten  times  one  is  ten;  ten  months 
of  school  means  ten  times  as  much  as  one  month! 

It  cannot  be  too  often  reiterated  that  the  main 
aim  in  Education  is  not  to  get  into  the  child's  head 
the  "  content  "  of  a  curriculum,  but  through  the  use 
of  the  curriculum  to  see  that  he  gains  a  love  of  its 
"  content,"  and  the  power  which  comes  of  it, — 
individual  power  to  think,  to  act,  to  feel,  to  mas- 
ter,— to  be  self-directing.  Therefore  we  can  often 
afford  to  pause  in  our  mad  career  of  cramming,  and 
(President  Eliot  again),  "  guide  the  training  of 
every  mind  on  those  subjects  which  it  most  affects." 
All  this  is  not  argument  for  keeping  children  from 
school,  but  for  requiring  the  schools  to  provide  more 
sympathetically  for  individual  culture;  for  more 
spontaneous  self -activity;  with  less  of  lesson-recit- 
ing and  marking.  The  fact  that  we  may  generalise 
in  the  treatment  of  the  bodies  of  human  beings, 
should  not  lead  to  the  error  of  believing  that  we 
may  do  the  same  thing  with  their  souls.  How 
charming  the  dual  nature  of  childhood!  On  one  side 
so  healthily  animal!  How  confidently  we  may  pro- 
vide for  bodily  needs!     Minimum  of  clothing,  maxi- 


112  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

mum  of  sleep,  unstinted  supply  of  simple,  nourish- 
ing food  and  free  outdoor  play,  absence  of  care  and 
responsibility, — the  same  alike  for  all!  But  for  the 
soul  of  a  child!  Here  even  angels  may  fear  to 
tread.  Away  with  confidence  and  conceit!  Be 
humble  now;  a  child  is  with  us!  an  embryo, — we 
know  not  what.  Let  us  look  into  the  eyes  and  heart 
of  him  and  inquire,  and  obey  him.  Let  us  proceed 
cautiously,  gently,  and,  to  quote  Hanus  once  more, 
"  Let  us  press  on  more  and  more  in  the  direction  of 
insisting  upon  the  clearing  away  of  the  thick  under- 
brush of  unnecessary  '  knowledge,'  to  make  place  for 
real  knowledge  and  individual  training." 

Oh,  the  swift  coming  of  the  millennium  for  child- 
hood, when  we  but  get  to  an  understanding  of  the 
sacredness  of  the  impulses  with  which  Mother 
Nature  starts  off  each  one  of  her  children  when  it 
enters  our  world! 

"  Les  hiboux  ne  peuvent  pas  voir  le  vol  des 
aigles!"  "Owls  cannot  even  see  the  flight  of 
eagles."     A  fine  proverb,  that! 

Must  we,  then,  clip  the  wings  of  the  big  bold  bird, 
to  force  him  to  perch  upon  a  branch  and  hoot  beside 
the  owl?  Heaven  forbid!  Or  must  we  nag  and 
boost  the  dear  little  owlet,  torture  him  with  arti- 
ficial wings,  in  vain  attciniit  to  make  him  follow  the 


INDIVIDUALITY  113 

eagle's  flight?  Again,  Heaven  forbid!  Let  us 
strive  for  faith  to  allow  each  individual  soul,  child, 
or  adult,  to 

"  press  bold  to  the  tether's  end, 
Allotted  to  this  life's  intelligence." 

"Owls  cannot  even  see  the  flight  of  eagles!" 
Yet  give  the  owl  his  free  opportunity;  and  let  the 
eagle  soar! 

We  may  all  be  humble;  many  a  brilliant  youth 
proves  but  a  flash  in  the  pan. 

We  may  all  be  hopeful;  Anthony  Trollope,  the 
fool  of  the  family,  became  its  star! 


VII 

BIG  THINGS 

(Versus  Galley-Slave  Work) 

"As  small  things  hurt  the  sight,  so  do  small  matters  him 
that  is  intent  upon  them."— Plutarch. 

"  Oh  !  but  a  man's  reach  should  exceed  his  grasp. 
Or  what's  a  heaven  for  ? " 

— Browning, 

Were  I  to  locate  a  child  ideally  during  those  first, 
fresh,  eager  years,  when  he  is  feeling  for  and  find- 
ing his  wings,  I  would  have  everything  about  him 
Big.  He  should  live  in  a  Big  house,  with  Big 
rooms,  in  the  centre  of  a  Big  horizon,  with  the  Big 
infinite  sky  above  him,  and  when  possible  the  Big 
sea  before  him. 

When  Walter  Scott  was  a  mere  infant  he  was  sent 
up  to  the  hills  with  the  shepherds  to  lie  all  day 
wrapped  in  a  sheepskin,  in  the  hope  that  this  treat- 
ment would  help  his  lameness.  Some  one  has  ad- 
vanced the  idea,  that  his  having  thus  lived  so  much 
in  a  wide  horizon  at  this  formative  period  of  his 
life,  did  much  toward  giving  him  his  large  sweeping 

114 


BIG   THINGS  115 

way  of  looking  at  things.  Be  tliat  as  it  may,  if  you 
find  that  you  are  wearing  yourself  out  over  vexa- 
tious trifles,  are  magnifying  mole-hills  into  peace- 
killing  mountains,  go  up  to  the  top  of  a  hill  and 
look  at  the  world  in  its  Bigness.  When  you  come 
down  your  real  troubles  will  not  be  gone;  they  can- 
not be  gotten  rid  of  so  easily,  but  you  will  be  aston- 
ished at  the  minure  size  to  which  your  obstreperous 
mole-hills  have  shrunk.  You  will  find  yourself  in  a 
condition  to  manage  your  real  troubles  with  clearer 
judgment. 

Have  you  not  noticed  that  children  are  nearly 
always  "good  "  out  of  doors?  especially  children  of 
nervous  temperament?  There  is  much  truth  in  the 
saying  that  we  ought  every  day  to  look  upon  a  fine 
painting,  hear  a  fine  song,  and  climb  to  the  top  of  a 
hill.  Translated,  that  means  that  we  need  Bigness 
and  Beauty  for  soul-food,  and  that  we  need  soul- 
food  every  day. 

Ideally,  we  would,  then,  have  children  spend  all 
their  days  in  the  midst  of  Bigness  and  Beauty, 
which  should  permeate  the  atmosphere  of  all  their 
activities.  And  what  should  these  activities  be? 
Lessons?  Lessons,  surely.  The  things  to  be  got 
from  books  and  study  in  this  generation  are  inspir- 
ing and  ennobling  beyond  expression.     But  not  too 


116  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

many  "  lessons  "  in  childhood;  not  five  hours  a  day 
of  them  within  imprisoning  walls^  with  one  or  two 
hours  of  attendant  home-work! 

For  the  most  part  we  would  have  children  pass 
their  days  among  things — real,  practical  things  and 
doings;  among  boats  and  horses,  in  carpenter  shop, 
machine  shop,  and  smithy;  among  household  af- 
fairs; in  the  woods  with  "  Hiawatha's  friends,"  and 
"  brothers,"  and  "  chickens."  Winters  they  should 
be  taken  to  the  Big  city  for  a  time,  there  to  behold 
and  wonder  at,  the  Big  Things  to  which  man  has 
attained,  and  to  have  Big  thoughts  upon  when  they 
shall  have  returned  to  their  home.  At  an  early  age 
they  should  find  introduced  into  their  companion- 
ship, an  entertaining  person  who  talked  nothing  but 
French,  which  they  would  learn  in  the  Big 
"natural"  way.  Three  or  four  years  later  they  should 
get  German  in  the  same  way;  Latin  also,  since  we 
are  picturing  the  ideal.  The  wise,  masterful  spirit 
which  should  be  found  to  preside  over  this  Juvenile 
paradise,  should  see  to  it  that  in  leisure  hours  and 
moments,  Big  characters  and  Big  events  in  History, 
along  with  the  best  in  Literature,  Music,  and  Art, 
should  furnish  natural  recreation.  Always  among 
Big  Things!  And  all  this  alone,  each  by  him- 
self?    By    no    means,    but    always    in    "troops," 


BIG   THINGS  117 

boys  and  girls  together.  Need  of  companionship 
is,  perhaps,  the  strongest  hunger  of  a  normal 
child's  spiritual  life.  Moreover,  as  Professor  James 
tells  us: 

"  No  runner,  running  alone  on  a  race-track,  will 
find  in  his  own  will  the  power  of  stimulation  which 
his  rivalry  with  other  runners  incites,  when  he  feels 
them  at  his  heels,  able  to  pass." 

I  know  as  well  as  ray  reader  knows,  that  I  am 
indulging,  fancy-free,  in  the  purely  ideal;  am  off, 
indeed,  in  Utopia  again.  I  know,  too,  as  well  as  my 
reader  does,  that  it  would  be  only  a  sentimentalist 
who  would  dream,  for  one  little  moment,  of  trying 
to  bring  it  about  that  children,  even  in  this  genera- 
tion, should  come  into  an  inheritance  so  delightful 
as  that.  We  hitch  our  wagon  to  a  star,  not  because 
we  hope  to  mount  to  the  star,  or  hope  to  travel 
through  the  universe  in  its  wake,  but  because, — 
well,  because  it's  natural  to  the  Sons  of  God  to  have 
ideals;  natural  that  "  a  man's  reach  should  exceed 
his  grasp."  No,  that  scheme  of  Big  Things  is  not 
intended  as  a  working  plan  for  us  of  to-day.  We 
can,  at  present,  only  forge  faithfully  forward  with 
our  children,  slowly  evolving  our  ideals,  meanwhile 
giving  the  expansive,  freedom-loving  little  creatures, 
as  little  prison  and  as  much  liberty  as  possible,  not 


118  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

bewildering  their  moral  and  mental   vision  more 
than  we  must. 

If  we  see  a  child  tumbling  comfortably  about, 
intent  upon  some  interesting  thought  or  deed,  we 
indulge  in  philosophisings  on  the  picturesqueness  of 
the  "  graceful  abandon  of  childhood."  Why  is  our 
satisfaction  not  multiplied  by  thirty,  if  thirty  chil- 
dren are  thus  disposed?  But  imagine  to  yourself 
the  creepy  horrors  of  any  teacher  of  to-day,  if  even 
a  faint  suggestion  of  such  "  disorder  "  were  made 
for  any  study-hour  of  her  class!  They  look  so  fine 
and  orderly,  set  up  in  strait- jacket  chairs!  even 
though  we  know  they  are  longing  for  limb-stretch- 
ing freedom!  Yet  we  need  not  thus  to  restrict 
children  and  dominate  them, — not  if  we  work  all 
together,  we  and  they.  The  necessity  of  this 
"  discipline "  is  simply  the  result  of  our  giving 
them  to  understand  from  the  very  start  that  we 
are  educating  them,  when  we  should  be  standing 
by  to  help  them  in  educating  themselves.  This 
sounds  Utopian  and  theoretical,  yet  every  one  who 
knows  children  well,  knows  how  responsive  they  are 
to  such  methods.  We  may  have  it  with  them  which- 
ever way  we  elect.  But  we  are  fools,  all  of  us,  in 
our  conceit  of  believing  that  we  know  how  to 
"  manage  "  children  without  their  own  cooperation! 


BIG  THINGS  119 

It  is  my  belief,  and  I  am  sure  that  I  am  by  no  means 
alone  in  it,  that  the  intimations  and  impulses  and 
desires  of  a  rightly-born,  rightly-received,  rightly- 
environed  child  are,  nearly  all  of  them,  wholesome, 
upward-striving,  and  to  be  reverenced.  What  in 
them  seems  bad,  will,  if  closely  examined  into,  turn 
out  to  be  tentative  searchings  after  experience  and 
self-expression.  Their  whole  activity  is  the  result 
of  an  unconscious  reaching  out  after  a  true  adjust- 
ment of  self  with  its  surroundings.  The  infant,  for 
instance,  will,  for  but  a  marvellously  short  time  take 
its  food  with  eager  animal  enjoyment,  absorbingly 
employed  in  illustrating  that  "  first  law  of  Nature  " 
which  is  self-preservation.  Woe  be  to  us  if  we  do  not 
recognise  dawning  affection  when  the  child  refuses 
to  enjoy  food  greedily,  which  is  served  with  frowns 
instead  of  smiles!  when  the  tiny  hand  is  stretched 
toward  us  in  mute  appeal  for  comradeship.  Woe  to 
us,  and  to  him,  if  we  do  not  then  and  there  begin 
to  say  "  we  "  with  him;  to  let  him  have  from  that 
time  forth,  a  sense  of  companionship  with  us. 

To  say  nothing  of  the  relation  of  many  children 
with  their  parents,  what  is  that  of  most  pupils  with 
their  teachers?  Acuteness  of  skill  in  "  getting  out " 
of  all  they  can  on  the  part  of  the  pupils;  the 
teachers,    meanwhile,    wearing   themselves    out   in 


120       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

faithful  endeavour  to  pull  their  reluctant  charges 
along  rapidly  in  order  to  keep  them  up  to  the 
grade  requirements; — a  mild  half-recognised  con- 
flict always  between  them.  "Is  the  task  done?  if 
it  isn't  you  must  stay  after  school  until  it  is!  "  when 
it  should  be:  "Oh,  couldn't  you  do  it?  I  will  try 
and  get  a  chance  to  help  you  after  school!  " 

What  proportion  of  school  work,  I  ask  you,  may 
honestly  be  called  hearty  cooperation  of  pupil  and 
teacher?  Yet  Childhood  is  capable  of  it!  Of  noth- 
ing in  all  my  experience  and  observation  do  I  feel 
surer  than  of  that!  But  we  have  wandered  again 
toward  Utopia;  let  us  return;  Utopia  is  not  "  practi- 
cal!" 

"  What  knowledge  is  of  most  worth? "  asks 
Spencer  and  has  but  one  answer  to  his  question,  viz. 
"  Science,"  "  Science,"  always  "  Science,"  so  you  will 
see  that  we  shall  have  in  this  chapter,  but  one  only 
answer  to  the  question,  which  will  be  ever  and 
always,  "  Big  Things." 

Turn  with  me  now  if  you  will  to  page  57;  look 
once  more  upon  our  curriculum  and  ponder;  and  re- 
flect that  "  Children  need  not  a  prison  but  occupa- 
tion." Reading  one  day  the  Personal  Recollections  of 
Mary  Somerville,  by  her  daughter,  I  came  suddenly 
upon  the  following  paragraph.     I  was  for  the  mo- 


BIG  THINGS  121 

wient  transfixed  with  surprise  and  delight;  I  read 
and  re-read  it,  gloating  upon  it. 

"When  we  were  very  young  she  taught  us  her- 
self for  a  few  hours  daily;  when  our  lessons  were 
over,  we  always  remained  in  the  room  with  her, 
learning  grammar,  arithmetic,  or  some  such  plague 
of  childhood." 

Delicious  faith  of  a  mother!  "When  our  lessons 
were  over"!  What,  then,  were  those  "lessons" 
without  arithmetic,  or  grammar,  or  other  "  plagues 
of  childhood"?  How  simply  this  fact  is  recorded 
by  her  daughter  along  with  the  others!  How  naive 
the  unconsciousness  that  she  is  here  setting  forth 
the  very  central  principle  of  ideal  curriculum- 
making!  How  incidental  are  the  "  plagues  of  child- 
hood," grammar,  arithmetic  and  the  rest,  to  which 
we  devote  nearly  the  whole  of  those  eight  long 
years!  What,  I  ask  again,  could  have  been  the 
"  lessons  "  which  Mary  Somerville  taught  her  chil- 
dren during  those  "few  hours  daily"?  How  we 
should  like  to  know!  We  may  be  sure  they  were 
Big  Things  of  some  sort,  that  Arithmetic  and 
Grammar  should  be  so  cavalierly  brushed  aside.  We 
can  only  surmise; — her  beloved  Astronomy,  per- 
haps; possibly  Spencer's  Science;  the  easy  and 
beautiful   things   of   Physics   and   Chemistry;   the 


122  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

fascinating  problems  of  measurements  and  oon- 
structive  and  observational  Geometry;  History, 
Literature,  and  Music,  surely.  We  may  be  certain 
that  those  lessons  had  to  do  with  things  high  and 
noble,  Mary  Somerville  herself  being  high-minded 
and  noble. 

Deep-deep-rooted  is  this  old  custom  of  believing 
that  our  children  must  spend  their  days  fiddle-dee- 
dee-ing  among  little  things!  Doing  "galley-slave 
work "  when,  self-respecting  and  masterful,  they 
should  be  about  their  Father's  business.  This  wrong 
will  never  be  righted  till  Parents  awaken  to  the 
seriousness  of  it,  and  join  Pedagogues  in  the  scheme 
of  education.  Pedagogues  are  wise; — wise  in 
theory  and  in  zeal;  Parents,  too,  are  wise, — wise  in 
affection  and  in  the  instinct  born  of  it.  We  will 
not  debate  which  is  the  wiser  wisdom.  Both  are 
needed. 

A  young  friend  of  ours  who  had  lived  mostly 
innocent  of  school  life,  and  rather  largely  and 
freely,  not  wishing  at  the  time  of  her  entering  col- 
lege, to  study  Greek,  set  herself  the  task  of  prepar- 
ing herself  without  a  teacher,  in  the  substitute 
mathematics  of  the  Harvard  entrance  requirements. 
Any  one  familiar  with  the  old-time  double-duty 
penalty  for  any  departure  from  the  regular,  laid- 


BIG  THINGS  123 

down  scheme,  will  easily  understand  that  she  had 
given  herself  no  small  task.  One  day  she  settled 
comfortably  into  an  easy-chair  and  began  to  read 
her  Analytic  Geometry  exactly  as  though  she  were 
reading  a  story.  She  went  through  to  the  end  with- 
out doing  an  example.  When  she  had  finished,  she 
exclaimed,  slangily  to  be  sure,  but  emphatically: 
"  There!  I  wanted  to  know  where  I  was  at!  "  Then 
she  rolled  up  her  sleeves  and  went  into  it.  That 
was  her  "  Natural  Method."  And  a  fine  one  it  was, 
— a  method  with  Bigness  to  it.  And  at  ten,  this 
girl  had  been  among  the  "  owls  "  in  arithmetic! 

Even  very  young  children  get  an  added  self- 
respect  by  being  given  big  conceptions  of  things. 
Everybody  knows  that  the  Kindergarten  is  our  in- 
stitution perfect;  yet  it  may  be  safe  for  me  to  utter  an 
expression  of  my  fear,  that  this  "  perfected-system  " 
business  is  taking  much  out  of  the  life  of  Froebel's 
beautiful,  spontaneous  kindergarten,  by  not  letting 
in  largeness  enough, — by  fussing.  There  is  no 
record  that  the  joyous,  spontaneous  Froebel  had  a 
half-hour-period  programme  for  three  and  four- 
year-old  children,  to  which  he  strictly  adhered,  as  do 
the  kindergartners  of  to-day.  It  is  difficult  to 
imagine  him  abiding  by  one. 

One   day,    visiting    a    "  crack "  kindergarten  of 


124       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

Boston^  we  became  interested  in  an  eager  little  boy 
who  was  "  hurrying  up  "  to  get  his  card  all  sewed 
before  schedule  time  brought  on  the  next  thing. 
He  didn't  succeed,  and  he  begged  to  be  allowed  to 
"  finish  it  all  the  same."  "  Oh,  no,  Charlie,  not  to- 
day; we  are  going  to  form  a  ring  and  play  now," 
said  the  kindergartner,  "you  can  finish  it  next 
time;  "  which  the  child  knew  would  not  be  for  three 
days,  for  doesn't  every  one  know  that  "  occupa- 
tions "  all  come  twice  a  week  in  kindergarten?  The 
refusal  had  been  given  kindly  enough,  but  with 
a  mild  surprise  that  Charlie  hadn't  caught  on  to  the 
schedule  of  things.  Oliver  Twist  had  asked  for 
more! 

"  But  I  don't  want  to  play,"  persisted  Charlie, 
now  a  little  snarlily,  "  I  want  to  finish  this." 

Firmly  but  gently  the  kindergartner  laid  the 
work  in  the  box  with  the  other  cards,  and  the  child 
went  discontentedly  to  play(?).  Play,  you  may 
recall,  is  defined  as  "  voluntary  activity."  The  boy 
was  listless  and  indifferent  during  the  entire  period 
of  games.  He  was  going  to  play  all  the  afternoon! 
He  didn't  care  if  he  had  had  the  allotted  twenty-five 
minutes  of  card-sewing;  he  wanted  to  finish  that 
little  bit  on  his  card  and  take  it  home  to  his  mother! 
How  different  the  points  of  view  were  in  the  affair! 


BIG  THINGS  126 

From  the  kindergartner's  point  of  view  the  boy 
was  doing  his  period  of  card-sewing;  the  child  was 
simply  making  a  pretty  thing  to  carry  home  to  his 
mother.  He  had  been  given  a  little  thing  to  do;  he 
was  doing  a  Big  Thing. 

It  is  like  that  all  along  the  line  through  the 
kindergarten,  primary  school,  grammar  school,  and 
to  a  less  degree,  possibly,  in  the  High  School.  It  is 
murderous  always  to  have  work  chopped  off  just 
when  interest  is  thoroughly  aroused,  and  the  metal 
red  hot  for  being  wrought  upon!  Only  to  be  set 
pounding  upon  some  cold  metal,  and  all  just  because 
the  gong  has  sounded  to  announce  the  close  of  a 
period ! 

"  Your  Committee,"  announces  our  before-men- 
tioned Committee  of  Fifteen,  "  recommends  recita- 
tions of  fifteen  minutes  in  length  in  the  first  and 
second  years,  of  twenty  minutes  in  length  in  the 
third  and  fourth  years,  and  of  twenty-five  minutes 
in  the  fifth  and  sixth  years,  and  of  thirty  minutes  in 
the  seventh  and  eighth." 

Now  what  has  Psychology  to  say  to  that?  Where 
is  G.  Stanley  Hall,  to  prove  to  us  by  tabulations, 
lines,  and  curves,  that  some  children  can  give  atten- 
tion longer  than  others?  and  that  some  subjects 
will   hold   attention   longer   than   others?      What 


126       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

psychological  law  is  explicit  enough  to  bear  us 
out  in  rigidity  of  that  sort?  Children  have  a 
craving, — and  it  is  a  noble  one,  and  an  educational 
crime  not  to  satisfy  it, — to  do  completed,  well- 
rounded  work,  or,  at  least,  to  go  on  up  to  their  limit 
in  attempts  to  do  it.  This  heading  a  child  off  from 
his  own  strong  self-directings;  and  fitting  him  to 
schedules,  tends  most  wretchedly  to  initiate  the  child 
into  the  "  pernicious  habit  of  being  satisfied  with  in- 
adequate and  partial  results,  at  an  early  age,  an  age 
when  by  nature  he  delights  in  adequate  and  full  ones." 
Pedagogues  and  Parents,  get  ye  alike,  into  the 
leading-strings  of  your  children.  Don't  knock  the 
stick-to-it-iveness  out  of  them,  if,  perchance. 
Nature  has  at  the  start  endowed  them  with 
it!  Later  on  we  shall  all  be  groaning  that  the  great 
evil  among  them  is  lack  of  concentration.  And 
why  shouldn't  it  be?  Haven't  we  been  inducing  it? 
If  you  give  a  child  a  story  to  write,  and  you  see  him 
leaning  on  his  elbows,  staring  into  space  with  rapt 
look,  don't  tell  him  to  "  hurry  up "  because  the 
period  is  nearly  over!  Nor  don't  make  him  go  off 
to  gymnastics,  or  even  to  geography,  if  he  is  so 
interested  that  he  wants  to  finish.  Two  halves 
don't  make  a  whole  in  education,  unless  they  are 
halves  of  the  same  thing.     Nor  don't  make  him 


BIG   THINGS  127 

write  his  first  copy  "  neatly  and  in  his  best  hand- 
writing." I  wouldn't  like  you  to  see  the  first  copy 
of  this  chapter!  Have  you  ever  seen  a  facsimile 
of  the  first  copy  of  Dickens  or  of  any  other  author 
of  note?  Give  the  little  embryo  author  as  good  a 
show  as  his  grown-up  fellow-authors.  But  we  are 
always  expecting  children  to  do  what  we  couldn't, 
by  any  hook  or  crook,  do  ourselves! 

We  may  safely  trust  the  instinct  of  children  for 
Big  Things,  and  give  them  a  long  rope  of  freedom 
in  their  activities. 

"  A  desire  for  knowledge  is  the  natural  feeling  of 
mankind;  and  every  human  being  whose  mind  is  not 
debauched  will  be  willing  to  give  all  that  he  has  to 
get  knowledge." 

So  writes  the  enthusiastic,  knowledge-loving  Dr. 
Johnson.  It  is  with  regret,  however,  that  we  must 
recall  the  fact  that  Johnson  did  not  discover,  in  his 
brief  and  unhappy  period  of  schoolmastering,  that 
this  is  even  truer  of  children  than  of  men  and 
women.  "  Generation  of  Artificial  Stupidity  in 
Schools  "  kept  the  fact  under  a  total  eclipse  in  his 
day,  as  it  does  nearly  in  ours.  But  the  fact  is  a 
fact  all  the  same,  provided, — and  the  provision  is  a 
necessary  one, — that  the  knowledge  is  real  knowl- 
edge, and  is  the  particular  knowledge  which  is  fitted 


128  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

to  the  child's  wants.  This  last  provision  is  the  one 
Avhich  looks  after  the  Individuality  so  strongly 
pleaded  for  in  another  chapter.  Drudgery,  to  be 
spontaneous  and  cheerful,  must  be  performed  for 
the  getting  or  the  making  of  some  Big  Thing,  big 
in  the  eyes  of  the  worker.  A  boy  will  not  patiently 
pick  up  and  carry  stones  as  a  task.  But  how  your 
little  Ben  Franklins  will  excite  wonder,  tiring 
themselves  out  building  a  miniature  wharf!  Watch, 
then,  for  what  big  thing  your  child  has  ambition, 
then  set  him  to  work  on  the  road  toward  that  thing. 

"  The  Youth,"  says  Thoreau,  "  gets  together  his 
material  to  build  a  bridge  to  the  moon;  or  perhaps 
a  palace  or  a  temple  on  earth;  and  at  length  the 
middle-aged  man  comes  along  and  concludes  to 
build  a  woodshed  with  it." 

What  matter  if  ambition  and  ardour  do  cool  as  we 
get  older?  Let  not  our  youngsters  lose  hope  while 
they  are  young.  Let  each  new  generation  have  its 
try;  its  own  hopes  and  experiences;  only  thus  is 
possible  the  finest  moulding  of  character.  Moreover, 
an  occasional  one  does  succeed  in  building  his 
bridge  to  the  moon.  And,  indeed,  that  is  the  best 
sort  of  mind  which  keeps  up  the  hope  of  it  till 
death.     Let  us  live  bravely  and  die  game. 

We  can,  I  believe,   do  nothing  better  for  our 


BIG  THINGS  129 

children  than  to  dismiss  the  "plagues  of  child- 
hood "  with  a  minimum  of  attention,  and  to  keep 
the  tracks  clear,  ahead  of  their  own  childish  schemes 
and  enterprises.  This  advice,  be  it  understood, 
must  be  heeded  with  discretion,  even  the  necessary 
minimum  of  the  "  plagues  of  childhood,"  making  up 
a  large  and  troublesome  list.  What  I  am  pleading 
for,  is  that  we  shall  err  on  the  side  of  indulgence; 
shall  give  the  children  as  large  scope  of  freedom  for 
their  own  chosen  activities  as  our  wider  view  can, 
by  stretch  of  judgment,  permit  to  them. 

Freedom!  Magical  word!  How  it  has  set  throb- 
bing the  pulses  of  nations  and  of  individuals!  The 
history  of  the  world  is  but  a  history  of  fights  for 
Freedom,  and  who  loves  and  needs  Freedom  more 
than  children?  And  who  fights  harder  and  more 
persistently  for  it?  Let  them  have  more  of  it! 
Freedom  the  path;  Truth  the  Goal! 

To  be  given  Freedom,  and  taught  self-reliance! 

To  be  given  Freedom,  and  taught  the  great  gulf 
between  liberty  and  license! 

To  be  given  Freedom,  along  with  health  and  op- 
portunity! 

Then  may  we  accomplish  Big  Things!  True  for 
ourselves,  even  more  true  for  our  children. 

Freedom  is,  indeed,  the  biggest  of  the  Big  Things 


130  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

which  we  should  covet  for  our  children,  even  as  it  is 
the  one  first  thing  which  we,  ourselves,  think  we 
must  have.  It  may  be  thought  that  we  do  give 
children  Freedom.  Americans  are  accused  of  giv- 
ing them  too  much  of  it.  We  shall  all  agree,  per- 
haps, that  we  give  them  too  much  license,  but  let  us 
frankly  allow  ourselves  to  see  how  very  small  is  the 
amount  of  true  Freedom  which  Civilisation  allots  to 
childhood.  "  Civilisation  is  the  rock  that  man  has 
split  upon,"  writes  some  one,  and  just  missed 
being  a  bit  of  a  genius,  for  not  having  written 
"  childhood  "  instead  of  "  man."  Civilisation  is  the 
rock  that  childhood  splits  upon!  Architecture,  Art, 
Music,  Science,  Society  and  Social  Institutions, 
Religion, — all  these  are  the  achieved  triumphs  of 
man's  past  upward  climbing,  his  present  ideals  as 
far  as  he  can  get  them  expressed.  They  furnish  the 
natural  environment  and  soul-food  for  cultivated 
Man.  But  how  little  of  it  is  the  ideal  of  Childhood! 
How  little  of  it  furnishes  natural  environment  or 
soul-food  for  Childhood!  Normal  children,  not  too 
early  initiated  and  rendered  hlase,  shirk  about  all 
th^  can  of  it. 

Civilisation,  however,  should  be  infinite  inspira- 
tion for  children  to  behold;  to  go  to  for  sips  and 
tastes,  to  get  food  for  reflection  from,  and  to  serve 


BIG  THINGS  131 

as  ideals  in  the  formation  of  their  thoughts  and 
character.  To  be  able  to  pass  their  character- form- 
ing years  within  range  of  Civilisation  should,  in- 
deed, be  a  tremendous  impulsive  force  in  their 
development.  It  is  only  adult  unwisdom,  "  adult 
egotism  "  again,  that  makes  children  ''  split "  upon 
Civilisation.  Why  can  we  not  have  enough  wisdom 
to  see  to  it  that  children  have  the  benefits  of 
Civilisation,  even  while  living  their  actual  life  close 
to  Nature  and  simplicity,  each  drinking  in  from  the 
grand  ideals  about  him,  only  what  he  can  assimilate, 
we  having  courage  not  to  try  to  force  the  rest  upon 
him. 

No,  we  are  not  yet  ready  to  give  children  this 
priceless  privilege.  From  the  moment  a  child 
comes  into  the  world  his  Freedom  is  mortgaged  to 
the  process  of  fitting  him  to  Civilisation.  We  don't 
mean  to  let  him  go  through  those  dreadful  Culture 
Epochs  if  we  can  help  it.  Go  look  upon  the  layette 
over  which  the  expectant  mother  hovers  so  fondly! 
The  farther  from  simplicity  the  more  she  gloats. 
She  stands  before  the  store-window  display  of  styles 
distingue  and  chic  Parisian  get-ups  of  Civilisation 
for  the  covering  of  its  tiny  young,  yearning  to  pass 
unmolested  through  their  claw-and-club  stages  of 
existence!     And  the  bazaars,  filled  with  completed 


132       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

toys,  marvellously  calculated  to  stultify  any  dawn- 
ing faculty  of  invention,  and  to  prevent  the  develop- 
men  of  childish  powers! 

Alas!  We  are  wandering  toward  Utopia  again; 
this  time  by  contrast.  We  must  relentlessly  re- 
turn. 

"Life,  Liberty,  and  the  Pursuit  of  Happiness"! 
Life  we  protect  for  our  little  ones;  of  the  delights 
of  Liberty  they  know  little.  x\s  for  the  Pursuit  of 
Happiness,  it  is  we  who  pursue  it  for  them, — con- 
tinually and  always.  We  have  yet  to  instruct  our- 
selves in  the  art  of  allowing  them  to  come  upon  it 
naturally  and  unconsciously,  by  the  sheer  force  of 
their  own  efforts  and  activities. 

What,  then?  What  practical  lesson  for  us? 
This, — that  we  should  ever  give  children  as  high 
and  wide  a  lookout  about  them  as  is  consistent  with 
a  simple  unstimulated  life.  Let  things  run  along 
as  much  as  possible  in  currents  and  sweeps,  not 
fussing.  Left  to  themselves,  children  naturally 
generalise,  naturally  think  big  breezy  thoughts. 
Doing  things  largely  induces  largeness  of  thinking; 
and  doing  and  thinking  largely  is  but  liberal-minded- 
ness  and  generosity  of  soul,  which  we  so  much  ad- 
mire; is,  indeed,  one  of  the  most  distinguishing  ele- 
ments of  a  fine  character. 


BIG  THINGS  133 

"  I  have  generally  found,"  observes  Pestalozzi, 
"  that  high  and  noble  thoughts  are  indispensable  for 
developing  wisdom  and  firmness." 

High  and  noble  thoughts  grow  out  of  high  and 
noble  and  Big  doings.  Let  us  see  how  it  is  cus- 
tomary to  regard  this  thing:  "  The  conclusion  is 
reached,"  sets  forth  our  much-quoted  Curriculum, 
"  that  learning  to  read  and  write  should  be  the  lead- 
ing study  of  the  pupil  in  his  first  three  or  four  years 
of  school."     Pedagogic,  not  parental  wisdom! 

Would  that  there  might  spring  up  from  some- 
where, another  Mary  Somerville,  who  should  head  a 
committee  of  Fifteen  Mary-Somerville-minded 
Pedagogues  and  Parents,  to  give  us  a  counter-cur- 
riculum! 

It  never  seemed  to  me  much  matter  how  early  a 
child  learns  to  read  and  write.  Provided  that  it  is 
learned  easily  and  voluntarily,  and  does  not  dis- 
place knowledge  of  tilings,  the  earlier  the  better. 
Ability  to  read  swiftly  and  intelligently, — to  read 
as  you  breathe,  unconsciously  and  absorbingly,  is 
the  very  backbone  of  a  good  education,  is,  in  itself, 
a  good  education.  Too  few  there  are  who  have  ac- 
quired the  art,  except  in  the  devouring  of  fiction. 

Nevertheless,  to  believe  that  in  the  business  of 
conducting  a  child  to  the  full  stature  of  a  man,  the 


134  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

learning  to  read  and  write  should  be  the  "  leading 
study  "  for  the  first  and  best  years, — that  should 
seem  to  Parents  the  worst  kind  of  heresy.  These 
are  the  years  which  give  the  key-note  to  life;  the 
years  in  which  those  studies  should  be  the  leading 
ones,  which  will  train  little  ones  from  the  very  start, 
to  observe  accurately  and  infer  justly;  to  love  largely 
and  to  serve.  They  should  be  studies  which  bestir 
conscience,  and  educate  it  to  demand  implicit  obedi- 
ence. In  a  word,  while  all  studies  should  be  charac- 
ter-forming ones  through  the  entire  course,  they 
should  be  absolutely  the  chief  ones  at  the  beginning, 
which  is  the  source  of  the  stream  of  after  life. 
Surely  primer-reading  and  handwriting,  this  small 
work  of  tool-making,  is  elevated  to  a  position  far 
above  its  merits!  These  should  be  run  in  as  inci- 
dentals, as  things  which  must  be  done,  if  one  means  to 
be  decently  educated. 

In  conclusion,  let  us  look  a  little  upon  this  being 
who  is  given  into  our  charge,  this  being  which,  from 
very  birth,  so  loves  Freedom  and  Bigness!  We  will 
pass  by  the  bonbon-craving,  finery-admiring,  party- 
going,  self-centred,  indulged,  critical,  almost  cynical, 
spoiled  child  of  society,  and  "  Civilisation,"  and 
"  adult  egotism."  It  is  the  spontaneous,  self -forget- 
ting, eager,  soul-hungry,  natural,  unspoiled  child. 


BIG  THINGS  136 

of  whom  we  are  speaking.  We  ought  to  feel  a  sense 
of  awe  in  his  presence. 

Chamberlain,  in  The  Child,  a  Study  of  the  Evolu- 
tion of  Man,  quotes  Goethe  as  saying: 

"  If  children  grew  up  according  to  early  indica- 
tions, we  should  have  nothing  but  geniuses;  and  all 
the  play  of  environment  since  the  race  began  has 
not  removed  the  fact  emphasised  by  Schopenhauer, 
'  Every  child  is,  to  a  certain  extent,  a  genius,  and 
every  genius  to  a  certain  extent  a  child.'  " 

"  Genius,"  says  Mr.  H.  Cooly,  "  is  that  aptitude  for 
greatness  that  is  born  in  a  man."  We  should  repeat 
that  to  ourselves  again  and  again  when  we  are  in  the 
presence  of  children.  "  Genius  is  that  aptitude  for 
greatness  that  is  born  in  a  man."  We  get  such  bril- 
liant glimpses  of  this  genius  all  through  childhood! 
But  it  is  so  delicate,  so  evanescent,  that  it  eludes  the 
enticements  of  this  life  and  slips  little  by  little  away, 
and  we  grow  into  manhood  and  womanhood  hope- 
lessly lacking  it!  Perhaps  it  is  like  the  first  dew  on 
the  flowers  in  early  morning,  not  intended  to  remain 
through  the  glare  of  the  midday.  Yet  should  we 
not  try  to  keep  our  hold  on  as  much  of  it  as  we  may, 
as  a  delight  for  our  workaday  world? 

"  Gifted  people  seem  to  conserve  their  youth," 
says  G.  Stanley  Hall  with  truth.     He  asserts  also 


136       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

that  "  it  is  certainly  one  of  the  marks  of  genius 
that  the  plasticity  and  spontaneity  of  adolescence 
persist  into  maturity."  And  Chamberlain  takes 
some  pains  to  bring  to  our  mind  that,  not  only  is 
genius  akin  to  childhood,  but  in  its  ways  and  means 
is  also  similar  to  the  latter.  But  we  smother  this 
genius,  this  aptitude  for  greatness;  we  swamp  it  with 
galley-slave  work.  The  affinity  of  genius  and 
childhood,  in  my  way  of  thinking,  lies  in  this,  that 
they  both  love  the  simple,  elemental,  real  things  of 
life,  and  that  they  love  them  so  insistently  that  they 
must  have  them;  they  are  the  very  necessity  of  their 
living.  And  these  simple,  elemental  things  are  the 
Big  Things!  All  things  noble  are  simple  and — Big; 
complexity  is  commonplace;  it  satisfies  only  the  ordi- 
nary mind. 

"  As  small  things  hurt  the  sight,  so  do  small 
matters  him  that  is  intent  upon  them."  Let  us 
heed  Plutarch  and  keep  our  children  intent  upon 
Big  Things. 

"  What  your  heart  thinks  is  great,  is  great.  The 
soul's  emphasis  is  always  right." 


VIII 

THE  METHOD   OF  LIMITS 

' '  Attention  should  be  called  to  the  desirability  of  introduc- 
ing  the  Method  of  Limits." — Harvard  College  Entrance  Re- 
quirements in  Qeometry. 

OxE  is  happy  to  recognise  his  ideas  wherever  he 
finds  them,  and  this  one  is  clothed  to  my  liking  and 
by  good  authority.  "  Attention  should  be  called  to 
the  desirability  of  introducing  the  Method  of 
Limits."     AVhat,  then,  is  this  "  Method  of  Limits  "? 

St.  Paul  discovered  what  it  was  for  him  when  he 
stopped  kicking  against  the  pricks.  If  he  were  but 
instructed  in  it,  what  a  boon  it  might  prove  to  the 
bumble-bee  which  is,  at  this  very  moment,  bruising 
his  poor  little  head  against  my  window-pane,  in  the 
vain  hope  of  attaining  freedom  in  the  sunny  fields 
beyond!  For  ourselves  we  interpret  it  to  mean, 
that  when  we  have  come  to  the  end  of  our  rope  in 
any  one  direction,  it  is  folly  to  fall  to  marking  time, 
fondly  imagining  we  are  still  advancing.  Eather 
let  us  recognise  our  Limit. 

It  is  an  important  method  to  understand,  this 
137 


138  PEDAGOGUES  AND   TARENTS 

Method  of  Limits,  in  order  to  rightly  construe  the 
chapter  on  Big  Things, — or  any  other  chapter  on 
education.  "  Big  "  is  a  relative  term;  what  to  you 
is  a  little  thing  is  often  a  Big  Thing  to  your  child. 
The  natural  love  which  children  have  for  Big 
Things  brings  them  continually  up  against  this 
Method  of  Limits.  They  feel  themselves  equal  to 
far  bigger  things  than  they  can  really  compass. 
It  is  well  to  let  them  discover  their  own  Limit. 
The  child  who  conceives  a  Big  Thing,  starts  in  on 
it  and  proceeds  up  to  his  Limit,  has  done  far  more 
toward  developing  a  commanding  character,  than 
the  one  who  travels  over  that  same  bit  of  road  with 
no  goal  in  view,  but  does  it  as  a  task  given  out  by 
his  teacher. 

Our  little  fellow,  when  very  small,  long  indeed 
before  he  learned  to  write,  got  the  knack  of  spelling 
out  words  on  the  type-writer,  phonetically  of  course, 
and  could  set  down  his  ideas  in  a  manner  quite  in- 
telligible. When  he  could  not  induce  us  to  admit 
that  they  were  ''  correct,"  he  stoutly  maintained 
that  his  way  was  just  as  good  as  our  way;  writing 
is  meant  to  be  read!  and  his  could  be!  What  more 
could  you  reasonably  wish?  Lest  you  should  not 
believe  me,  I  do  not  dare  to  tell  how  young  he  was, 
when  he  produced  the  following  curious  specimens: 


THE   METHOD   OF   LIMITS  139 

"jojwoshtn"  (George  Washington);  "klarudiki" 
(Clara  Dickey);  "  osaksahosgutloos "  (0  sakes,  a 
hoFge  got  loose!)  and  the  like.  Once  when  he  felt 
naughty  he  said  resentfully,  "  I'll  write  a  bad 
word!  "  and  ran  off  to  the  type-writer.  He  soon  re- 
turned, holding  his  breath  at  the  audacity  of  what 
he  had  done,  and  held  up  a  big  sheet  of  paper  with 
the  one  word  upon  it,  "  devul."  When  he  was  four 
years  old  and  had  learned  to  separate  the  words, 
and  had  acquired  a  little  more  skill  generally,  he 
announced  that ''he  was  going  to  write  a  book  "  with 
lots  of  chapters,"  and  forthwith  produced  the  fol- 
lowing table  of  contents: 

"  1.  a  Spanish  wo-bot  (war-boat) 
2.  a  man  tokt  when  ded  (talked) 

The  merykn  flag  (American) 

an  8  leggid  spider 

a  singing  lump  of  dirt 

sum  wirds  of  a  littl  song 

doo  fish  gro 
The  little  fellow  did  a  vast  amount  of  thinking  on 
each  of  these  subjects  before  he  accepted  it  as  a 
chapter-head.     But   baby   ambition   had  found  its 
limit.     He  said  thoughtfully: 

"I'll  write  'em  all  perhaps  some  day;  that  last 
one  I've  got  to  study  up." 


140       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

It  is  not  unalloyed  fickleness  that  makes  children 
go  from  one  big  scheme  to  another.  Nature's 
Method  of  Limits  is  ever  relentlessly  restraining 
them.  The  child  comes  to  the  end  of  his  knowl- 
edge and  judgment  and  skill  in  one  direction,  and 
must,  perforce,  begin  all  over  again,  changing  the 
direction  of  his  headlong  activity,  even  as  he  wan- 
ders a  short  distance  from  his  home,  then  returns  to 
wander  off  in  another  direction,  but  never  venturing 
far.  His  limited,  but  ever  increasing  skill,  is  an 
always  lengthening  tether  of  his  energy,  keeping 
him,  not  in  a  circle,  but  in  a  spiral  of  activities. 

Our  little  lad,  at  nine  and  a  half,  had  at  school 
four  periods  a  week  of  drawing  and  manual  training. 
I  pause  here  to  say  that  if  this  boy  plays  a  rather 
prominent  part  in  this  book,  I  can  only  plead  that 
there  are  several  reasons  why  he  does  illustrate  it 
rather  naturally.  Very  likely  on  account  of  his 
own  and  his  parents'  mutual  lack  of  persistence  in 
regard  to  his  school  attendance,  there  seems  always 
to  be  some  ready  excuse  for  his  never  getting  more 
than  a  few  weeks  of  schooling  every  year.  Secondly, 
it  may  be  that,  like  the  celebrated  Rousseau,  we  do 
not  prove  ourselves  equal  to  both  the  theory  and 
practice  of  educational  ideas;  at  all  events,  the  boy 
receives  an  unusual  amount  of  protection  in  Liberty 


THE   METHOD   OF   LIMITS  141 

and  the  Pursuit  of  Happiness,  and  keeps  up  a  series 
of  animated  illustrations  of  what  free,  spontaneous 
childhood  is  likely  to  evolve. 

As  before  stated,  he  had  four  periods  a  week  at 
school  for  drawing  and  manual  training.  When 
asked  what  they  did  during  that  period,  he  replied  a 
little  resentfully,  "  She  talks  to  you  half  an  hour, 
then  gives  you  ten  minutes  to  do  it ";  which  re- 
minded us  of  an  opinion  which  he  once  gave  that 
the  way  to  study  geography  was  "  to  go  there." 
Well,  in  consequence  of  having  so  little  time  for 
doing,  the  boy  begged  to  have  a  duplicate  outfit  for 
this  work  at  home,  which  was  got  together  for 
him; — a  knife,  a  ruler  and  pencil,  a  pair  of  com- 
passes, and  a  T  square,  with  some  small  pieces  of 
thin  wood  to  work  upon. 

Then  business  began!  No  time  or  thought  for 
anything  else!  Match-scratchers,  pencil-sharpeners, 
and  the  like,  were  turned  out  till  they  were  a  glut 
in  the  market.  The  compasses  were  the  special 
fascination.  He  went  through  a  variety  of  per- 
formances with  it  and  then  asked  if  we  didn't  know 
"  some  things  to  do  with  it."  Of  course  we  put 
him  through  the  bisecting  of  lines,  constructing  of 
perpendiculars,  circumscribing  and  inscribing  of 
circles  and  squares  and  the  like.     He  did  it  all 


142       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

beamingly.  I  give  you  his  own  original  method  of 
drawing  a  line  through  a  given  point,  parallel  to 
a  given  line.  He  still  thinks  it  is  simpler  than  the 
"  regular  way,"  and  "  plenty  accurate  enough." 

"  Draw  two  little  mountains  as  high  as  the  other 
one,  then  draw  a  line  across  the  top  of  'em  all." 


All  this  satisfied  his  very  soul.  He  has  not  even 
yet  got  over  the  delight  and  wonder  of  trying 
to  place  three  points  not  in  a  straight  line,  in 
such  a  position  that  he  can't  put  a  circle  through 
them. 

One  day  we  found  his  outfit,  previously  so  ten- 
derly cared  for,  scattered  about,  neglected  and  for- 
gotten. Limit  attained!  He  must  have  a  scroll 
saw!  Santa  Claus  brought  it.  "  Another  fellow  " 
remembered  that  he  had  one  that  he  used  to  be 
crazy  over.  He  got  it  out,  brought  it  over  to  our 
house,  and  set  it  up  beside  our  lad's  in  front  of  the 
window  of  his  room.  For  days  we  could  never  feel 
quite  free  from  the  idea  that  we  lived  under  a  saw- 
mill. Frames,  dissected  puzzles,  and  pictures  and 
maps,  were  now  the  vogue.     This  craze  had  a  longer 


THE    METHOD   OF   LIMITS  143 

run  than  many  others,  but  even  the  scroll  saw  had 
to  have  a  fall  from  its  high  first  place. 

One  day  the  lad  came  in  and  seriously  counted 
his  cash  on  hand;  he  must  immediately  have  a 
clothes-line.  Couldn't  the  kitchen-girl  give  him 
hers?  She  wasn't  washing!  He  had  some  pulleys 
and  things  and  wanted  a  clothes-line  to  go  with 
them.  He  got  together  thirty-five  cents  and  he 
and  the  "  other  fellow  "  went  off  to  make  the  best 
bargain  they  could  with  it.  They  returned  with 
thirty-five  yards  of  clothes-line  and  the  derrick  acts 
began  all  over  the  house.  Coming  in  at  the  front 
door,  the  first  thing  likely  to  greet  the  eye  was 
something  or  other  dangling  about  in  upward  career 
in  the  front  hall.  We  stepped  into  his  room  one 
day  just  in  time  to  rescue  his  bed,  which  was  being 
slowly  elevated  toward  a  pulley  fastened  above  the 
door!  The  derrick  scheme  was  a  short  one.  Pos- 
sibly it  lacked  the  sympathy  of  the  household! 
Scheme  after  scheme  has  followed,  one  to  be 
dropped  only  to  be  succeeded  by  another. 

A  healthy  normal  boy  is  never  without  a  scheme, 
and  never  pursues  any  scheme  long,  before  he  runs 
up  against  his  Limit,  and  is  off  again  in  another 
direction.  A  child's  possibilities  of  achievement 
are  so  small!     And  they  are  made  even  smaller  by 


144       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

the  backwardness  of  parents  in  supplying  them  with 
tools  and  material  and  opportunity  to  carry  on  their 
schemes,  being  far  more  ready  to  buy  them  finished 
toys.  It  is  much  easier  and  less  bothering  and 
cluttering,  than  it  is  to  keep  a  watchful  eye  out, 
furnishing  the  needful  links  and  hints  that  would 
hold  them  enthralled  longer  in  any  given  line  of 
activity.  So  they  soon  come  to  their  limit  in  any 
direction  in  which  ambition  or  fancy  impels  them; 
and  they  are  too  impatient  and  too  instinctively  wise 
to  be  willing  to  do  treadmill  work.  Anyway,  who 
of  us  likes  to  do  "  galley-slave  work  "?  The  refusal 
to  do  it  is  but  natural  self-discipline.  True  educa- 
tion forbids  our  continuing  to  do  a  thing  after  we 
can  do  it;  we  may  continue  to  do  it  from  necessity, 
but  not  for  education.  When  you  can  do  one  thing 
learn  to  do  another;  that's  progress. 

"  Patience  is  genius,"  says  the  proverb.  So,  in- 
deed, it  is.  And  how  infinitely  patient  and  pains- 
taking the  wonderful  little  beings  are  in  their  own 
chosen  activities! 

"  Patience  is  the  virtue  of  asses! "  says  a  counter 
proverb.  So,  indeed,  it  is, — in  a  treadmill.  The 
proverbs  are  complementary,  not  contradictory. 

We  should  note  all  this  in  prescribing  tasks.  A 
child's  Limit,  in  my  opinion,  is  reached  in  any  work 


THE    METHOD   OF   LIMITS  145 

or  study,  when  he  cannot  longer  do  it  with  interest; 
the  more  I  reflect  and  observe  upon  the  matter  the 
more  I  believe  that  we  may  rely  upon  that  fact  as  a 
law.  A  child  reaches  his  Limit  from  one  of  two 
reasons.  He  has  arrived  as  far  as  at  that  time  he  is 
fitted  to  go;  or,  which  is  more  often  the  case,  be- 
cause there  is  no  one  at  hand  to  sympathetically 
open  vistas  beyond  on  that  particular  road,  and 
help  him  clear  away  obstacles  so  that  he  may  con- 
tinue his  way.  And,  indeed,  is  anything  worth  the 
precious  hours  of  childhood  in  which  interest  can- 
not be  aroused?  Working  where  there  is  no  in- 
terest means  indifferent  or  even  painful  snail-pace, 
when,  in  another  direction,  it  might  mean  the 
jubilant  speed  of  the  deer  bounding  over  his  native 
heath. 

More  and  more  as  I  observe  children  I  do  believe 
that  they  should  be  led  into  knowledge  after  a 
fashion  which  shall  draw  out  spontaneous  interest; 
that  they  should  not  be  "  taught '',  by  a  teacher 
whose  mind  is  anxiously  on  the  term-end  examina- 
tion, which  is  to  determine  whether  they  may  go  on 
to  the  next  "  grade."  The  relentlessly  examined 
subjects  should  be  exceedingly  few  and  exceedingly 
elemental.  All  the  rest,  built  upon  these,  should  be 
things  so  enticing  to  the  children,  that  they  can  be 


146       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

trusted  to  absorb  and  assimilate,  each  up  to  his 
Limit.  And  never  you  speer  too  much  into  their 
minds  to  know  how  much  that  is!  Do  you  measure 
the  air  they  breathe?  Or  the  amount  of  food  they 
eat, — if  only  they  thrive? 

This  treatment,  you  say,  would  give  a  vague  idea 
of  everything  and  an  accurate  idea  of  nothing. 
Quite  likely.  That  is  what  they  get  even  now.  Go 
talk  with  them  and  ascertain  for  yourself  if  it  is  not. 
A  little  classmate  of  our  lad's  had  been  marked  S 
in  his  recitation,  when  unluckily  the  teacher  asked 
him  what  were  some  of  the  industries  of  the  state 
of  Maine  and  he  replied  promptly,  "  The  manufac- 
turing of  saw-teeth."  He  remembered  that  they 
manufactured  something,  and  he  got  it  mixed  up 
with  the  "  saw-teeth  shape  of  the  coast "!  For  that 
he  got  his  mark  reduced  to  P.  And  P,  you  know,  is 
lower  than  S,  meaning  only  "  pass,"  while  S  means 
"  satisfactory  "! 

Our  own  boy  just  missed  a  disgrace  of  that  sort; 
we  were  reading  "  Miles  Standish  "  aloud.  "  Noth- 
ing was  heard  in  the  room,  but," — I  paused  to  see 
if  he  could  fill  out  the  line  from  memory,  which  he 
did  without  hesitation, — "  but  the  stripling  pen  of 
John  Alden"!  He  was  at  home,  however,  and  did 
not  get  marked  down  for  it!      His  sister,  several 


THE    METHOD   OF   LIMITS  147 

years  older,  was  guilty  of  a  similar  vagueness;  "  I 
like  So-and-so,"  she  exclaimed  earnestly,  "  he  is  so 
dastardly!  He  da'st  to  do  anything  under 
heavens!  " 

Vagueness!  Vagueness  is  a  part  of  the  natural 
make-up  of  most  youth:  I  could  present  instance 
after  instance  of  it  among  the  youth  about  me  at 
the  present  moment. 

"  The  meeting  adjoined  at  8.30,"  recorded  a 
bright  young  seventeen-year-old  girl  secretary, 
"  and  the  rest  of  the  evening  was  spent  in  socialism." 

"Did  So-and-so  play  a  solo  last  night?"  I  asked 
a  young  friend. 

"He  played  something  alone,"  was  the  simple 
reply,  "  but  I'm  not  a  muscian,  and  I  don't  know 
whether  it  was  a  solo  or  not." 

We  all  know  how  much  vagueness  there  is  at  all 
ages  on  the  subject  of  religion.  Especially  are  we 
certain  to  find  it  among  young  people. 

"  Do  you,  can  you,  really  and  truly  believe  in 
eternal  punishment? "  asked  one  schoolgirl  of 
another  at  the  close  of  a  heated  argument  on  the 
subject.  "  Yes,  I  do;  I  must,  because  the  Bible 
teaches  it,"  was  the  sorrowful  reply  of  tender- 
hearted "  Sweet  Sixteen,"  who  immediately  added 
joyously,  "but  I  don't  believe  it  will  last  forever!  " 


148       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

Childhood  is,  by  the  very  nature  of  it,  vague.  So, 
too,  is  youth.  All  the  correct  teaching  we  are 
capable  of  will  not  take  vagueness  from  childhood, 
and  make  it  accurate.  How  can  children  learn  ac- 
curately all  the  wonderful  things  in  this  wonderful 
world  in  so  short  a  time?  We  do  not  find  an 
overabundance  of  accuracy  among  our  growTi-up 
selves! 

A  word  concerning  this  same  accuracy;  it  should 
always  and  unremittingly  be  encouraged,  and  its 
brilliancy  and  utility  ever  shown  up,  but  I  much 
doubt  if  there  is  anything  at  all  in  which  we  can 
reasonably  require  children  to  be  absolutely  accu- 
rate, except  truth-telling  and  the  multiplication 
table,  and  even  in  these,  the  first  especially,  it's 
doubtful  if  we  may  expect  it.  At  the  price  of 
eternal  vigilance,  sympathetically  turning  them  face 
about  and  setting  them  right  when  they  go  astray, 
we  may  hope  to  fetch  them  up  at  last  to  President 
Eliot's  ideal  of  being  able  to  "  observe  keenly,  to 
reason  soundly,  and  to  imagine  vividly."  The  ambi- 
tion to  express  themselves  is  very  strong  in  young 
people,  but  they  soon  come  up  to  their  Limit  of 
knowledge  and  experience;  overstepping  this  Limit 
come  vagueness  and  inaccuracy.  Spencer  warns  us 
of  the  grave  error  which  one  commits  when  he 


THE    METHOD   OF   LIMITS  149 

"insists  on  putting  into  undeveloped  minds  per- 
fectly exact  ideas;  exactness  being  not  only  un- 
appreciated by,  but  even  repugnant  to,  minds  in  low 
stages." 

Let  me  beg  you  to  believe  it,  this  Method  of 
Limits  is  an  important  one.  There  is,  indeed, 
"  desirability  of  introducing  it."  It  applies  itself 
continually  in  the  education  of  the  young;  let  us  see 
a  little  how. 

There  are  in  nature  two  sorts  of  things,  organic 
and  inorganic,  nearly  enough  defined  for  our  pur- 
pose as  things  which  grow  and  things  which  do  not 
grow.  Things  to  be  learned,  like  the  things  of 
nature,  are  also  of  the  same  two  kinds,  those  which 
will  grow  and  those  which  will  not.  If  you  wish  for 
a  field  of  corn  you  may  plant  it  and  go  about  your 
other  work  while  it  grows  a  harvest  for  you;  up  to  a 
certain  point  you  may  labour  profitably  npon  it; 
beyond  that  point  you  cannot  further  assist  its 
growth.  You  would  but  defeat  your  end  if  you  were 
to  stay  by  and  pull  at  it  to  make  it  grow  faster. 
But  is  it  a  stone  wall  that  you  want?  You  must 
stay  by  until  the  last,  collecting  and  laying  every 
stone  of  it.  Stone  walls  never  grow.  Again,  if  at- 
tention be  called  to  the  beauty  of  the  butterfly  and 
the  flower,  the  interest  and  delight  will  of  themselves, 


150       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

grow  to  appreciation  of  other  insects  and  flowers 
and  of  all  Nature.  Teach  a  child  to  count  ten,  and 
once  interest  him  in  the  combinations  of  numbers, 
and  his  knowledge  of  number  will  grow  as  the  days  go 
on,  if  only  a  little  attention  is  bestowed  to  keep  up 
the  incitement.  Particularly  in  arithmetic  we 
waste  time  lavishly  on  things  which  would  grow  of 
themselves  if  we  had  but  faith  to  wait  for  them. 
Facts  of  narrative  history  must,  on  the  contrary,  be 
accumulated  with  industry;  a  knowledge  of  George 
Washington  will  never  of  itself  grow  into  a  knowl- 
edge of  Queen  Elizabeth  or  of  Garibaldi.  Yet  what 
a  fine  harvest  we  may  reap  of  the  Philosophy  of 
History  by  the  mere  fact  of  its  growing.  "  Philos- 
ophy of  History  "  is  indeed  nothing  else  than  re- 
flection upon  what  we  read,  and  surely  we  can  trust 
to  the  growth  of  the  powers  of  reflection,  if  we  can 
trust  to  the  growth  of  anything  at  all.  And  child- 
philosophy  is  a  most  beautiful  thing  to  start  grow- 
ing, and  a  most  fascinating  little  force  to  guide  or 
to  follow!  Our  small  nine-year-old,  between  school 
and  home,  got  himself  filled  with  sympathy  for  the 
New  England  Pilgrims.  One  day  he  appeared  with 
the  most  serious  expression  on  his  little  face.  He  had 
produced  the  following,  and  "  couldn't  find  any  more 
words  to  rhyme." 


THE    METHOD   OF   LIMITS  151 

"  TtKMe  exfls  who  came  ore  the  wava. 
When  they  landed  thqr  were  glad. 
And  DOW  they  all  lie  in  their  graves. 
But  the  king  of  England  he  was  matf. 
they  built 
By  tlio^to»fny<i8Q-liholi>4iouDo  it  otood'.  ■ 

The  line  through  that  last  verse  was  pathetic;  it 
indicated  the  Limit.  Tears  had  been  ready  to  come 
with  the  sense  of  defeat.  He  is  not  a  poet;  possibly 
he  is  destined,  as  were  both  his  parents,  to  a  few 
defeats  to  find  it  out !  His  few  little  lines  were  not 
incipient  poetry;  they  were  incipient  "  Philosophy 
of  History."  Properly  smiled  upon  and  encouraged 
it  will  grow  to  its  fulfilment  ''  in  years  which  bring 
the  philosophic  mind." 

Oh  for  the  faith  of  Paul  to  plant  and  ApoUos  to 
water,  and  for  the  faith  to  trust  in  God  to  give  the 
increase!  We  are  afraid  to  "live  by  admiration, 
hope,  and  love."  We  shall  not  in  this  generation 
be  wise  enough  for  anything  so  simple  as  that.  We 
shall,  for  a  long  time  yet,  believe  we  must  teach 
children  all  that  we  want  them  to  know.  We  shall 
go  on  for  a  long  time  yet,  stupidly  pulling  and  push- 
ing at  the  things  which  of  themselves  are  bravely 
trying  to  grow  in  the  fertile  minds  and  hearts  of 
children.  Our  children  must  suffer  still  some  time 
longer  by  our  "  adult  egotism." 


152       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

One  of  the  most  relentless  forms  which  this  pull- 
ing at  growing  things  takes  in  the  schools  is  the 
form  of  drill.  Drill  is  a  word  in  which  school- 
masters have  much  confidence.  "  We  learn  by 
doing."  So,  indeed,  we  do.  But  that  does  not 
necessarily  mean  that  we  learn  a  thing  by  doing 
that  particular  thing  over,  and  over,  and  over, 
again.  Even  the  famous  curriculum-makers  feel 
that. 

Professor  Woodward  has  pointed  out  that  the 
educational  effect  of  manual  training  is  destroyed 
by  having  the  pupils  work  for  the  market.  "  The 
first  machine  made  is  an  education  to  its  maker  .  .  . 
the  second  and  subsequent  machines  made,  are  only 
a  matter  of  habit." 

Galley-slave  work  again!  The  word  drill  is  a 
word  which  should  be  employed  with  caution.  On 
this  point  we  should  heed  such  words  as  those  of 
Commissioner  Harris: 

"  Especially  in  elementary  schools  is  it  very 
important  to  study  the  effects  of  arrested  develop- 
ment that  occur  by  reason  of  too  much  drill  in 
arithmetic  or  word  memorising,  or  any  semi- 
mechanical  operation,  .  .  .  under  the  plea  of 
thoroughness." 

I  have  had  come   under  my  personal  observa- 


THE    METHOD   OF   LIMITS  153 

tion  several  cases  in  which  I  believe  that  brilliant 
capabilities  have  been  deadened  by  excess  of  drill 
and  memorising.  Soldiers  must  have  precision  of 
drill;  musicians  must  drill  for  skill  of  finger; 
children  must  drill,  more  or  less  till  they  can  read, 
and  write,  and  "  say  their  tables."  Up  to  a  certain 
point  "  drill  "  is  a  "  Natural  Method,"  beyond  that 
point  it  easily  becomes  a  first-class  machine  for  the 
strengthening  of  the  patience  "  which  is  the  virtue 
of  asses."  Is  not  drill  the  function  which  gets  us 
into  a  habit  of  doing  things  mechanically?  But 
there  are  not  many  things  we  wish  to  do  mechani- 
cally. It  is,  for  instance,  a  misapplication  of  the 
use  of  drill,  to  expect  to  become  good  writers  of 
English  through  drill  in  writing.  We  can,  doubt- 
less, by  drill,  get  into  a  way  of  writing  a  certain 
sort  of  correct,  harmless  sort  of  English;  but  if  you 
hope  to  write  forceful,  vigorous,  interesting  English, 
first  of  all  get  your  head  full  of  clearly-defined,  red- 
hot  ideas,  and  words  will  gather  to  them  as  iron 
filings  to  a  magnet. 

So,  then,  when  we  have  brought  children  up  to 
their  Limit,  let  us  not  make  them  miserable  because 
they  cannot  go  beyond  it.  When  they  have  grown  a 
fair  harvest  of  one  sort,  let  us  encourage  a  rotation 
of  crops.     How  this  growing  capacity  of  a  child's 


154  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

mind  and  the  growing  quality  of  some  subjects, 
should  guide  in  curriculum-making  and  in  the  train- 
ing of  teachers! 

"  Just  as  if  one  must  not  necessarily  grow  cleverer 
and  taller  at  the  same  time!  "  cries  Jean  Paul. 


IX 

••  NATURAL  METHOD  " 

And  Nature,  the  old  nurse,  took 

The  child  upon  her  knee, 
Saying:  "  Here  is  a  story-book 

Thy  Father  has  written  for  thee. 

"  Come,  wander  with  me,"  she  said, 

"  Into  regions  yet  untrod; 
And  read  what  is  still  unread 

In  the  manuscripts  of  God." 

And  he  wandered  away  and  away, 
With  Nature,  the  dear  old  nurse, 

Who  sang  to  him  night  and  day 
The  rhymes  of  the  universe. 

And  whenever  the  way  seemed  long, 

Or  his  heart  began  to  fail. 
She  would  sing  a  more  wonderful  song, 

Or  tell  a  more  marvellous  tale. 

— Longfellow. 

"Natural  Method"!  "Scientific  presentation 
of  the  subject"!  Phrases  beloved  of  Pedagogues! 
Phrases  for  the  Schoolmaster  to  conjure  with! 
"  Natural  Method "  is,  perhaps,  the  rallying  cry 
which  did  more  than  any  other  to  rescue  the  schools 

155 


156       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

from  the  old^  cramming  method  of  "  imparting 
knowledge,"  It  is  now  in  danger  of  doing  more 
harm  than  any  other.  The  educational  world  went 
stark  mad  over  the  invention  of  "natural"  methods, 
and  has  not  yet  fully  recovered  its  sanity.  There 
was  but  one  method  of  "  cramming,"  but  of  methods 
"  natural,"  their  name  is  legion.  Each  teacher  has 
his  own  selected,  or  original  one.  It  reminds  us 
of  the  enterprising  manufacturing  firm  in  the  West, 
which  could  not  keep  up  with  the  demand  for 
"  relics  which  came  over  in  the  Mayflower.''  To 
each,  the  best  method  which  he  can  devise  seems 
the  natural  one. 

An  acquaintance  of  mine  once  had  charge  of  a 
little  orphaned  niece.  She  was  an  exceedingly  con- 
scientious woman  and  longed  to  devote  much  time 
to  ifhe  education  of  the  child,  but  she  had  little 
leisure.  She  took  the  child  about  with  her  a  great 
deal,  and  she  conceived  the  bright  idea  of  having 
her  learn  to  read  and  spell  and  to  "  say  her  tables  " 
in  fragments  of  time  during  their  journeyings; 
"  for,"  she  reasoned,  "  when  she  gets  to  school  she 
will  easily  learn  to  apply  them."  The  child  was 
responsive  and  learned  these  and  many  other  things 
with  eagerness,  always  by  rote,  her  aunt  relying  on 
her  getting  the  application  of  them  when  she  should 


"  NATURAL   METHOD  "  157 

go  to  school.  Now  let  us  see  how  little  she  had 
attained  of  any  real  knowledge.  Meeting  her  one 
day,  I  asked,  in  the  course  of  the  conversation: 

"  How  long  have  you  lived  in  this  world,  any- 
way?" 

A  look  of  real  surprise  came  over  the  child's 
bright  face  as  she  answered  slowly  and  wonderingly: 

"  I  don't  know;  I'll  ask  Auntie." 

I  was  interested  in  the  child  and  took  a  little 
trouble  to  learn  of  her  progress  from  time  to  time. 
After  she  had  been  in  school  a  few  weeks  I  asked 
her  teacher  how  she  was  getting  on. 

"  She  is  a  sort  of  wonder,"  the  teacher  exclaimed. 
"  She  knows  her  tables  perfectly,  but  it  has  been 
almost  impossible  to  make  her  see  that  they  have 
anything  whatever  to  do  with  her  examples.  In 
adding  and  multiplying  she  begins  at  the  beginning 
of  the  table  to  find  every  combination  she  needs; 
for  instance,  if  she  wants  7x8  she  recites  the  7  table 
to  herself  till  she  comes  to  the  8.  You  can  imagine 
how  slowly  she  does  her  examples  in  multiplication. 
She  can  spell  anything  orally,  but  she  had  to  begin 
with  the  very  beginners  in  written  spelling.  She 
reads  fluently,  but  has  not  the  slightest  idea  what 
she  is  reading  about." 

This  was,  indeed,  an  extreme  case.     But  it  em- 


158       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

phasises  forcibly  the  central  truth  of  the  New 
Education  which  is,  that  while  knowledge  and  the 
acquiring  of  it,  while  instruction  and  the  fruits  of 
it,  are  absolutely  essential  to  a  good  education,  they 
are  not,  in  themselves,  a  good  education  without  the 
power  of  manipulating  and  employing  them.  And 
no  method  is  a  "  natural "  one  which  does  not 
develop  this  power  along  with  the  getting  of  the 
knowledge.  In  all  the  New  Educational  line  of 
thought  no  other  idea  occurs  more  frequently  or 
stands  out  more  prominently  than  this  one. 

"  The  child  is  not  to  learn  science,  but  to  dis- 
cover it,"  writes  Rousseau. 

"  Science  cannot  be  taught;  only  drawn  out," 
says  Socrates  ages  earlier.  And  Quick  puts  it,  "  I 
do  not  think  that  the  mind  is  benefited  by  galley- 
slave  labour." 

It  is  ever  the  same  idea;  we  cannot  profitably 
hoard  up  knowledge,  as  the  miser  hoards  his  gold; 
it  becomes  real  knowledge  only  as  we  use  it;  we  ac- 
cumulate it  profitably,  only  by  applying  it  as  we 
acquire  it. 

A  little  friend  of  ours,  a  dozen  years  of  age, 
began  the  study  of  Latin  a  short  time  ago.  We 
were  greatly  disappointed,  in  looking  over  his  text- 
book,  to    discover   that  he   was   to   approach   the 


"  NATURAL    METHOD  "  159 

language  through  the  grammar  exclusively,  after 
the  old-fashioned  way.  The  author  dwells  honestly 
in  the  Introduction,  on  the  necessity  of  the 
"  thoroughness  of  the  memory  work,  and  the  learn- 
ing of  paradigms,  rather  than  the  reading  of  many 
sentences."  The  book  consistently  starts  the  be- 
ginners off  by  having  them  commit  to  memory  all 
the  chief  inflections,  the  declensions  of  nouns,  pro- 
nouns, and  adjectives,  and  the  conjugations  of  all 
four  kinds  of  verbs,  and  even  some  of  the  excep- 
tions; all  this  with  very,  very  sparing  illustration  of 
their  uses  in  the  language  itself.  Divest  yourself  of 
maturity  and  prejudice  if  you  can,  become  a  child 
again,  and  look  with  a  child's  eye  upon  the  following 
paradigm  given  you  to  memorise  with  its  "  funny  " 
pronunciations. 


Plxtral. 

ei,  ii          eae  ea 

eorum      earum  eorum 

eis,  iis      eis,  iis  eis,  iis 

eos           eas  ea 

eis,  iis      eis,  iis  eis,  iis 


You  have  half  a  dozen  sentences  to  illustrate  its 
significance  and  then  you  proceed  to  learn  more  and 
more  of  the  same  sort.  I  do  not  pretend  that 
children  cannot  learn  such  things.     A  good  many 


Nom. 

is 

ea 

a. 

id 

Gen. 

eius 

eius 

eius 

Dat. 

ei 

ei 

ei 

Ace. 

eura 

earn 

id 

Abl. 

eo 

ea 

eo 

160  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

children  toss  them  off  with  comparative  ease,  some 
even  with  a  parrot-like  kind  of  pleasure;  but  it  is 
my  experience  and  observation  that  it  is  largely 
amusement  in  tongue-rattling;  that  when  they  come 
to  apply  it  all  as  knowledge,  they  do  it  much  as  the 
little  girl  did  her  multiplication  tables, — "  say  'em 
till  you  think  you've  come  to  the  one  you  think  you 
want."  It  is  the  antiquated  method  of  our  youth. 
It  is  almost  a  marvel  to  me  that  in  this  day  a  book 
like  that  should  find  a  publisher!  We  ought  to  be 
further  on  in  the  progress  of  educational  ideals.  I 
learned  Latin  in  that  way  with  the  reverent  trust 
of  youth  that  I  was  doing  a  fine  thing  and  doing  it 
the  only  way.  I  can  to-day  con  over  at  your  call, 
like  a  well-trained  parrot,  the  synoposes  of  the  verbs 
of  all  the  conjugations  in  any  person  and  number 
you  shall  choose;  decline  nouns  and  adjectives  to 
your  liking;  and  recite  lists  of  prepositions  and  con- 
junctions. But  as  for  reading  Latin — well,  I 
never  do  it  for  pleasure,  although  I  have  several 
times  parsed  and  analysed  a  Latin  sentence  without 
knowing  its  meaning. 

Dr.  Edward  Everett  Hale  writes: 

"  I  am  quite  clear  that  I  went  through  the  Latin 
school  with  the  distinct  feeling  that  Adams'  Gram- 
mar stated  the  eternal  truth  with  regard  to  the 


"  NATURAL   METHOD  "  161 

language,  and  that  Cicero  and  the  rest  of  them  had 
to  adapt  themselves  to  it." 

I  well  know  that  opinion  is  divided  among  the 
competent,  regarding  methods  of  teaching  Latin. 
And  far  be  it  from  me  to  presume  to  say  that  this 
method  or  that  one  is  the  best  one.  I  am  not  a 
Pedagogue,  I  am  a  Parent.  But  from  a  Parent's 
point  of  view  I  can  discover  not  one  grain  of  wisdom 
in  teaching  anything  under  Heaven  in  so  uninterest- 
ing and  unnatural  a  way.  Nor  is  it  any  wonder  that 
our  children  must  "  grind  "  so  fiercely  over  Latin 
to  creditably  pass  their  examinations,  and  that  then 
nearly  all  of  them  drop  it  forever. 

No  doubt,  from  some  pedagogical  point  of  view, 
such  methods  may  be  argued  to  be  "  easy "  and 
"  natural "  ones.  First  learn  the  principles,  then 
apply  them!  So  simple!  From  the  point  of  view 
of  the  child  it  can  scarcely  escape  being  pure  jargon. 
The  ordinary  child  will  learn  anything  he's  given, 
then  go  play  and  think  no  more  about  it  if  it  doesn't 
appeal  to  him.  We  should  not  take  advantage  of 
his  trustfulness.  The  child  whose  nature  is  a 
scholarly  one  will  seek  at  the  very  outset  for  crumbs 
of  real  knowledge,  for  a  glimpse  of  the  language 
itself!  Children  have  a  natural  aversion  to  hoard- 
ing; to  hoarding  anything,  knowledge  least  of  all. 


16S       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

They  like  to  use  a  thing  the  minute  they  get 
it.  No  hoarding-up  method  can  be  a  natural 
one. 

It  runs  strongly  and  continually  in  my  head  that 
there  is  no  one  "  Natural  Method "  for  teaching 
anything;  that  a  combination  of  all  methods  is  the 
most  natural  method;  and  that  most  often  the  pupil 
himself  should  be  allowed  to  make  the  combination. 
It  is  most  earnestly  to  be  desired,  indeed,  that  our 
children  be  allowed,  as  far  as  possible,  to  go  forward 
each  by  his  own  "  Natural  Method."  The  best  sort 
of  mind  travels  toward  the  discovery  or  apprecia- 
tion of  a  fact,  on  its  own  self -laid  track,  and  is  apt 
to  "  go  it  blind  "  on  any  other.  Children  should  be 
early  encouraged  to  lay  their  own  track  to  any 
desired  end.  This  seems  particularly  true  in 
Science  and  Mathematics,  but  is  also  true  in  other 
subjects. 

"  The  prime  obstacle  to  our  doing  the  best  that 
might  be  done  for  the  child's  education  is  adult 
egotism.  The  shadow  of  ourselves  obscures  the 
child,"  writes  Patterson  Du  Bois.  Many  a  "  stupid  " 
child  has  come  out  bright  when  freed  from  the 
shackles  forged  upon  him  by  our  egotism.  We 
should  be  a  little  shy  of  "  natural "  methods; 
should  make  sure  they  are  really  Nature's  method 


"  NATURAL    METHOD  "  163 

and  not  the  "  Natural  Method  "  of  some  particular 
mind.  We  once  visited  an  Indian  Reservation  in 
Nova  Scotia.  The  French,  from  the  ver}^  start,  have 
always  dealt  in  more  loving  fashion  with  the  Indians 
than  we  have.  They  have  never  had  a  "  Century  of 
Dishonour,"  and  these  Indians  were  great  pets.  In 
answer  to  our  inquiry  as  to  what  they  did  for  a 
living,  the  people  there  told  us  that  they  made  all 
sorts  of  "  Indian  remedies  "  from  herbs  during  the 
summer,  and  went  to  the  cities  to  sell  them  in  the 
winter.  "  And  are  the  medicines  really  good  for 
anything?  "  we  asked  incredulously.  "  Oh,  they 
are  probably  harmless,"  was  the  laughing  reply! 
Reflections  were  in  order  upon  the  enormous  sale  of 
Indian  remedies  in  "  The  States  "!  Indians  live  so 
close  to  Nature,  you  know!  It  is  unnecessary  to 
point  our  moral.  The  wares  of  "  Natural  Method  " 
venders  are  not  always  certain  to  be  so  fortunate  as 
to  be  "  harmless."  Even  in  small  things  we  want  our 
children's  work  to  have,  at  last,  that  quality. 

Our  nine-year-old  boy's  young,  enthusiastic 
teacher,  wishing  to  help  the  children  in  studying 
their  spelling  lessons,  directed  them  to  write  all 
the  words  five  times,  and  all  the  hard  ones  ten  times, 
and  pass  them  in  to  her.  Our  boy  was  quite  dis- 
turbed.   Monotony  is  death  to  him;  it  is  to  any  one. 


164 


PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 


He  had  various  ways  of  conquering  his  list;  for 
instance,  yesterday  he  did  it  in  the  following  man- 


ner:  with  his  left  eye  closed  he  shrewdly  scrutinised 
the  list,  then  hunted  up  some  one  to  read  him  the 
words;  above  is  a  facsimile  of  the  form  in  which  he 
brought  them  to  us  to  be  corrected.     As  penalty  for 


NATURAL   METHOD 


165 


the  misspelled  words  he  went  through  the  perform- 
ance of  a  "  pailful  of  churches,"  and  a  "  chestful  of 
expeditions  ";  all  of  which  pleased  him  greatly.  Now 
after  the  five  hours  of  school  and  an  afternoon  of 
hard  outdoor  play,  a  boy's  mind  is  not  in  order  for 


harness-work, — or  work  at  all,  for  that  matter,  and 
as  he  sat  wearily  down  to  his  homework  tasks,  we 
hated  to  have  them  turned  into  drudgery.  So  we  said 
simply: 

"  You  ask  your  teacher  if  you  may  learn  them  as 
you  please,  if  you  will  get  them  right." 

The  next  day  the  teacher,  with  much  tact  I  think, 
announced  to  the  class  that  those  who  got  ninety 
per  cent,  in  their  spelling  should  be  excused  from 
handing  in  the  written  list.     It  was  a  small  thing. 


166  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

but  it  was  worth  while.  School  work  is  made  up  of 
small  things,  all  of  which  seem  big  to  the  children, 
especially  when  they  are  that  bugbear  of  school 
days,  home-work. 

"  Natural  Methods  "  became,  after  the  "  New  De- 
parture "  of  Quincy,  so  many  and  so  various,  so 
original,  so  peculiar,  so  anything  but  the  old  way, 
that  they  came  to  mean  a  continual  experimentation 
on  the  children.  The  remembrance  of  it  all  recalls 
the  story  of  the  nurse  who  scorned  the  thermometer 
for  the  baby's  bath;  she  could  "  tell  without." 
When  asked  how,  she  replied,  "  Why,  mum,  if  the 
baby  turns  red  it's  too  hot;  if  he  turns  blue  it's  too 
cold.     It's  the  easiest  way  and  it's  sure!  " 

By  all  that  is  sacred  in  childhood,  let  us  leave  the 
children  as  much  freedom  and  originality  in  their 
mental  development  as  we  can,  by  any  stretch  of 
judgment,  believe  wise,  even  as,  for  their  physical 
growth,  we  rejoice  to  see  them  run  and  jump  and 
kick  and  sprawl  to  their  heart's  content  and  after 
their  own  heart's  devices.  We  wouldn't  interfere  if 
they  tried  to  coast  up  hill,  or  made  their  snow  men 
standing  on  their  heads.  "  Ah,"  we  exclaim,  "  that 
will  make  them  healthy  and  strong!  "  Do  they  not 
need  a  large  amount  of  the  same  free  activity  in 
spirit,  to  gain  a  healthy  strong  soul? 


"  NATURAL    METHOD  "  167 

"  It  might  be  desirable/'  laments  Mr.  Hanf ord 
Henderson,  "  it  would  certainly  be  convenient,  if 
we  could  present  great  slices  of  truth,  like  generous 
helps  of  layer-cake,  to  the  minds  of  our  children, 
and  have  them  thoroughly  assimilated  by  methods 
prescribed  by  ourselves  in  normal  schools  assembled. 
But  however  desirable  and  convenient,  it  is  not 
possible.  Yet  we  go  on  trying,  yesterday,  to-day, — 
I  hope  not  forever."  It  is  certainly  wise  to  have 
the  soul-feast  always  a  bountiful  one  for  children, 
provided  we  have  enough  self-control  and  faith  not 
to  be  continually  nagging  their  appetite.  We 
should  have  viands — simple,  dainty  viands — suited  to 
a  child's  palate.  If  we  could  but  have  faith  in  child- 
hood's appetite  and  impulses!  Faith  to  believe  that 
they  indicate  the  true  "Natural  Methods"!  Could 
we  but  recognise  as  God-given  hints,  childhood's 
longings  and  reachings  out  after  Life — full,  abun- 
dant Life  and  Freedom!  Our  "adult  egotism" 
prescribes  all  their  mental  activities.  Every  bit  of 
the  mental  training  of  which  our  children  are 
rightly  capable — and  more — we  give  into  the  charge 
of  the  school.  And  the  school  says  to  them,  "  You 
must  do  even  as  the  others  do;  you  must  all  do  and 
be,  alike." 

We  ought  steadily  to  resist  the  pedagogical  theory 


168  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

that  a  step-by-step,  logical-order  track  can  be  laid 
for  children,  and  all  children  set  running  at  the 
same  pace  upon  it.  No  such  theory  would  ever  get 
birth  from  a  Parent's  experience.  The  result  of 
this  pedagogical  belief  is,  that  for  the  school  half 
of  a  child's  life,  there  get  to  be  constructed  ladders, 
upon  which  to  climb  to  the  heights  of  knowledge, 
the  foot  firm  upon  one  rung  before  the  next  may 
be  attempted;  the  child  meanwhile  is  cheered  up 
the  ladders  by  innumerable  sweet,  discouraging  lit- 
tle encouragements  for  the  feeble;  "  little  by  little,'* 
"  pas  a  pas/'  "  slow  and  sure,"  and  the  like,  most  of 
which  are  epigrams  far  more  true  in  the  material 
world  than  in  the  world  of  spirit.  Many  a  child  can 
go  fast  and  sure,  leap  by  leap,  over  long  stretches  of 
the  hard  road  of  learning — if  he  be  not  hindered. 
I  do  not  now  believe  there  exists  that  close  simi- 
larity between  material  and  mental  law  in  which  I 
once  had  so  much  faith.  Nature  is  far  more  liberal 
and  indulgent  in  things  spiritual  than  in  things 
material.  Matter  is  hard,  inflexible,  stubborn. 
Spirit  is  fluid,  flexible,  elusive.  There  is  no 
Aladdin's  lamp  for  us — not  yet — in  things  material. 
Matter  is  relentless.  But  who  has  not  felt  at  times, 
the  almost  magic  thrill  of  a  sudden  inspiration  or 
revealing,  overleaping  at  one  bound,  scores  of  the 


"  NATURAL    METHOD  "  169 

logician's  ladder- rungs?  Wings  may  sprout  at  any 
unexpected  moment  and  bear  an  intense  soul  to 
heights  where  no  man  knows  enough  to  fix  a  ladder- 
top.  Watch.  Trust  a  little  to  Nature.  The 
choicest  spirits  will  ignore  your  ladders,  and  bridges, 
and  £ower-strewn  paths,  to  the  goal  you  have 
selected.  They  have  their  own  individual  flights  to 
take;  let  them  take  them.  Do  not  too  much  be- 
lieve that  the  adult  mind  has  a  right  to  demand 
from  the  child,  conformity  to  its  wisdom  and  its 
methods.  The  "  Natural  Method  "  in  most  things 
is  the  growing  to  a  thing,  not  the  being  taught  it. 
One  wonders  if  Mr.  Alexis  Frye  should  not  be 
given  the  first  prize  for  a  "  Natural  Method  "  of 
doing  things.  We  shall  always  recall  with  delight 
his  bold,  magnificent  way  of  introducing  our  ideals 
and  ways  into  the  Cuban  schools.  He  seems  never 
to  have  even  thought  of  establishing  an  American 
normal  school  in  Cuba  and  sending  down  a  batch  of 
pedagogues  and  professors  to  equip  the  teachers 
with  Herbartian  or  other  psychology,  and  big- 
worded  wisdom  of  the  order  described  in  our  In- 
troduction. To  have  done  that  would,  indeed,  have 
been  an  orderly,  regulation  way.  But  behold  now 
how  much  more  "  natural "  was  his  method.  He 
simply  brought  a  thousand  or  more  of  the  Cuban 


170       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

teachers  up  here  so  that,  to  use  President  Eliot's 
■words,  they  might  "  see  how  our  people  live;  see  our 
maimers  and  customs  when  we  are  at  work  and  when 
we  are  at  ease.  ...  To  see  what  has  come  of  the 
steady,  slow  development  of  civil,  political,  social, 
and  industrial  liberty  through  eight  generations  of 
men  on  this  rude  shore  and  this  barren  soil."  Then 
he  took  them  home  again  and  dispersed  them  all 
over  the  Island.  And  did  he  not  accomplish  more 
thereby,  than  would  have  been  accomplished  by 
ordinary  methods  in  ten  years? 

Even  by  the  best  of  methods  nobody  can  be  taught 
faster  than  he  can  learn.  "  The  speed  of  the 
horseman  must  be  limited  by  the  power  of  the 
horse,"  which  is  John  Milton's  conclusion  of  the 
matter. 

It  comes  to  me  ever  more  and  more  strongly, 
every  way  of  looking  at  it,  that  our  part  in  educa- 
tion is  not  primarily,  the  getting  up  of  school- 
curricula  and  schemes  of  education,  but  hum- 
ble cooperation  with  what  the  child  may  reveal 
as  Nature's  method, — which  is  surely  Evolu- 
tion. We  have  all  come,  in  this  generation,  to 
believe  in  evolution  for  the  world  universal.  But 
evolution  for  the  whole  is  compassed  only  by  a 
separate  little  scheme  of  evolution  for  each  Individ- 


"  NATURAL    METHOD  "  171 

ualised  atom  or  part.  Thus  the  progress  of  the 
Human  Eace  must  come  by  evolving  the  true  nature 
of  each  individual  child; — which  brings  us  to  the 
province  of  Education. 

It  may  be  claimed  that  School-Curricula  are  in- 
tended to  be  made  in  harmony  with  the  laws  of 
this  very  evolution.  But  continuous  contact  with 
the  daily  free  activities  of  childhood,  which  are, 
indeed,  but  the  actual  processes  of  evolution,  must 
have  a  tendency  to  arouse  in  every  thoughtful 
parent's  mind,  doubts  as  to  whether  worthy  schemes 
of  education  can  be  mapped  out  for  any  child  or  set 
of  children,  for  weeks  and  months  and  years  in 
advance.  It  would  be  unpardonably  weak  of  us  not 
to  have  always  within  our  own  view,  the  great  fields 
of  knowledge  into  which  we  hope  our  children  will 
enter;  but  we  shall  surely  fail  if  we  try  too  much  to 
dictate  the  order  of  their  entering.  That  is 
Nature's  share  in  the  scheme;  it  is  she  who  gives 
them  their  make-up,  their  temperament,  and  the 
trend  of  their  longings.  Our  part  is  to  watch;  to 
stand  by  and,  from  day  to  day,  shift  the  point  of 
contact  to  fit  the  individual  and  momentary  need. 
When  an  onrush  of  class  heat  and  fervour  is 
generated,  and  is  bearing  a  class  toward  high  ideals, 
would  you,  in  your  "  adult  egotism,"  switch  them  off 


172  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

to  a  siding,  merely  to  keep  tliem  on  the  "  grade  " 
track?  Or  if  it  be  the  ardour  of  an  individual  child, 
must  it,  forsooth,  be  ignored,  that  the  child  may 
fit  in  with  the  other  forty-nine?  Nay,  let  us  have 
more  faith. 

Let  us  trust  the  individual  genius  of  each  nation; 
of  each  particular  school-class  even;  but  most 
especially  and  most  sacredly,  let  us  reverence  the 
individuality  of  each  child.  Scientific  produce- 
raisers  and  stock-raisers  understand  this  principle 
by  instinct:  they  cultivate  each  plant,  each  animal 
by  itself.  Letting  it  take  its  own  lead,  they  stand 
by  to  suppress,  and  so  cultivate  out,  the  undesirable 
characteristics,  and  to  encourage  by  every  means, 
the  desired  qualities.  Let  us  be  as  scientific  in 
Education.  Let  us  allow  Cuban  and  Filipino  to 
evolve  his  own  destiny,  meanwhile  helping  him  all 
in  our  power.  Let  us  believe  in  the  same  law  for 
any  nation  or  individual  weaker  than  ourselves,  or 
behind  us  in  the  march  of  civilisation.  Most 
especially,  as  before  said,  let  us  give  the  children  the 
benefit  of  this  law  of  evolution; — evolution  assisted 
by  civilisation,  not  coerced  by  it. 


X 

ARITHMETIC 

"  Multiplication  is  vexation, 
Division  is  as  bad; 
The  Rule  of  Three  doth  puzzle  me 
And  Fractions  drive  me  mad." 

Arithmetic!  Charm  and  delight  of  my  school- 
days! Divine  harmony  of  numbers  and  of  quantity! 
Enchanted  realm  for  those  "  born  to  it  "!  Bottom- 
less pit  for  the  school-child  who  discovers  not  its 
fascinations!  A  youngster  good  in  Arithmetic  may 
go  through  the  public  school  head  high.  Skill  in 
Arithmetic  will  cover  a  multitude  of  sins.  But  be 
he  "  stupid "  in  x^rithmetic,  other  graces  will  not 
redeem  him.  He  may  be  a  natural  artist,  a  genius 
in  history,  have  a  fine  literary  instinct,  a  strong 
lovable  character; — but  he  can't  keep  up  in  Arith- 
metic!    And  Arithmetic  is  the  grade-regulator! 

Yet  ability  in  Arithmetic  is  not  a  fair  test  of  a 
child's  intelligence,  intellectual  capacity,  scholar- 
ship, practicalness,  or  even  mathematical  talent; 
that   is.    Arithmetic   as    everywhere    required   and 

173 


174  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

taught  in  the  schools.  From  the  time  when  I  first 
knew  how  to  count,  I  have  taught  Arithmetic, — for 
money,  for  love  of  childhood,  oftenest  perhaps,  for 
the  very  love  which  I  bear  for  the  study  itself,  and  I 
have  yet  to  meet  the  first  normal  child  who  did  not 
seem  to  me  to  have  natural  ability  in  Arithmetic. 
So  universal  is  the  ability  to  comprehend  it,  indeed, 
that  it  seems  almost  a  fair  test  of  normality.  Of 
course  this  ability,  like  ability  in  all  other  directions, 
varies  widely  in  difl'erent  children,  but  I  am.  con- 
vinced that  it  is  not  lack  of  ability  in  pupils  which 
"  generates  so  much  artificial  stupidity "  in  that 
branch;  neither  is  it  lack  of  faithfulness  on  the  part 
of  teachers,  who  are  mostly  over-conscientious. 
The  "  stupidity "  is  in  the  everywhere  accepted 
method  of  teaching  it,  and  especially  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  school  arithmetics.  Arithmetics  of  to-day 
have,  all  of  them,  a  most  "  Scientific  Presentation  of 
the  Subject,"  but  the  arrangement  is  universally 
"  scientific  "  with  regard  to  the  subject,  and  not  in 
regard  to  the  natural  development  of  a  child's  ap- 
preciation of  number.     But  more  of  that  later. 

I  was  very  small  when  the  determination  first 
took  possession  of  me  to  make  a  "  decent  arith- 
metic "  when  I  should  be  "  big."  I  was  but  a  dozen 
years  or  so  of  age  when  one  of  my  teachers  an- 


ARITHMETIC  17d 

nounced  to  our  class,  that  in  a  few  years  the  schools 
would  probably  all  be  using  my  arithmetic!  He 
made  the  announcement  jocosely,  but  I  did  not 
smile.  In  my  trusting  child-heart  I  looked  upon 
his  prophecy  as  a  sure  one.  For  many  years  the 
ambition  to  make  a  "  decent  arithmetic  "  broke  out 
occasionally  in  acute  form.  I  wish  I  (or  some  one) 
had  been  given  the  grace  and  strength  and' time  to 
do  it.  The  ambition  died  long  ago.  The  cause  of 
its  death  was  manifold. 

1st.  There  were  already  so  many  arithmetics. 

2d.  If  I  really  did  make  a  "  decent "  one  it 
would  be  so  radically,  so  revolutionarily  different  from 
other  arithmetics  that  teachers  would  think — well, 
that  the  maker  of  it  was  crazy,  perhaps. 

3d.  That  very  likely  I  couldn't  after  all,  do  it 
as  I  had  it  in  mind;  to  conceive  a  thing  and  to 
execute  it  are  two  very  different  things. 

4th.  The  fourth  cause  will  appear  in  the  follow- 
ing incident,  although  the  incident  occurred  after 
the  death  of  said  ambition. 

The  ambition  which  replaced  that  of  making  a 
"  decent  arithmetic  "  was  an  ambition  to  discover 
one.  To  that  end,  whenever  I  heard  of  the  publica- 
tion of  a  new  arithmetic,  I  hastened  immediately  to 
give    it    sympathetic    attention    and    examination. 


176  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

Both  ambitions  are  dead  now.  I  have  arrived  with 
many  others  at  the  mournful  stage  of  regarding  the 
arithmetic  disease  in  the  schools  as  an  incurable 
one.  However,  the  incident  is  fraught  with  fairly 
profitable  food  for  reflection  and  I  will  give  it. 

At  one  time  two  new  arithmetics  by  rival  firms 
were  announced  at  the  same  time,  each  claiming  to 
be  arranged  "  scientifically,"  on  "  natural  methods  " 
and  incorporating  the  "  newest  and  most  up-to-date 
ideas."  I  dropped  into  the  publishing  house  of  one 
of  the  books  and,  asking  to  see  their  new  arithmetic, 
seated  myself  to  examine  it,  intending,  if  it  seemed 
to  warrant  my  doing  so,  to  buy  it  for  my  collection. 
Then  I  went  over  to  the  clerk,  with  whom  I  held 
the  wholly  unpremeditated  conversation  which 
follows: 

I.  "  Is  the  book  essentially  different  from  all  the 
other  arithmetics?  Enough  different  to  warrant 
adding  another  to  the  list?  " 

He.  "  We  think  it  is  a  pretty  good  arithmetic." 

I.  "  Yes,  but  aren't  such  and  such  arithmetics 
good  ones? — about  as  good  as  this?" 

He.  "  Those  are  excellent  arithmetics "  (cau- 
tiously). 

I.  "But  this  one?  Why  did  you  make  another? 
How  is  it  different?  " 


ARITHMETIC  177 

He.  "Well,  we  thought  we  would  like  an  arith- 
metic of  our  own." 

I.  "  I  see;  and  So-and-So  thought  they  would  like 
one  of  their  own,  I  suppose;  have  you  seen  theirs?  " 

He.  "  I  have  seen  it.  It  looks  like  a  good  one, 
too  "  (generously). 

I.  "Isn't  it  almost  exactly  like  this  one?  The 
advertisement  sounds  just  like  it.  I'd  like  very 
much  to  see  one;  you  haven't  a  copy,  have  you?" 

He.  "  We  keep  only  our  own  publications." 

I  (after  a  moment's  hesitation  with  an  air  of 
good-comradeship).  "  You  haven't  a  copy  any- 
where about,  have  you?  "  (I  knew  they  must  have.) 
"  It's  a  long  way  up  there,  and  I  do  want  to  see  one 
very  much." 

He.  "  I  think  So-and-So  may  have  one." 

He  really  got  me  one  from  So-and-So's  desk,  and 
I  spent  some  little  time  examining  it  and  in  compar- 
ing them.  I  found  them  as  I  had  expected,  almost 
identical.  Then  I  returned  to  the  desk  of  the 
hospitable  salesman  and  resumed  our  conversation. 
He  was  accustomed  to  meeting  "  All  sorts  and  condi- 
tions of  men "  and  he  handled  me  with  patience 
and  even  with  courtesy. 

I.  "  Do  you  feel  that  you  have  come  to  the  final 
thing  in  arithmetics?     For  instance,  do  you  regard 


178  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

your  arithmetics  as  up  to  your  histories,  and 
geographies,  and  books  for  teaching  English  and 
Science?  " 

He.  "  Well,  no,  we  don't.  We  are  always  on  the 
look-out  for  a  good  thing  in  arithmetics."  (Then  he 
evidently  thought  it  his  turn  to  do  the  quizzing,  and 
he  asked  smilingly,  but  probably  with  a  good  deal 
of  inward  irony),  "  Why  don't  you  make  an  arith- 
metic yourself?  " 

I.  "  I  have  often  thought  of  it,  and  I'm  not 
wholly  convinced  that  I  shall  rest  comfortably 
under  the  sod  if  I  don't — unless  some  one  else  writes 
my  arithmetic." 

He.  "  Would  it  be  so  very  different?  " 

I.  «  Very  different." 

He.  "In  what  respect?" 

I.  "  The  other  day  we  got  a  new  sewing-machine 
at  our  house,  and  the  old  one  was  turned  over  to 
our  little  boy.  We  told  him  that,  for  him,  it  was 
almost  as  good  as  the  new  one.  "Most  as  good!' 
he  exclaimed,  '  It's  a  good  deal  better!  More 
machinery! '  And  surely,  beside  the  old  one,  the 
beautiful  new  machine  did  look  ashamed  of  itself 
with  its  exceedingly  simple  arrangement  for  sewing. 
My  arithmetic  would  be  like  that;  in  the  presence 
of  other  arithmetics,  it  would  hang  its  head  with 


ARITHMETIC  179 

shame  at  the  very  nakedness  of  its  simplicity."  (He 
laughed  politely  and  I  continued):  "But  supposing 
I,  or  any  one  else,  should  make  an  arithmetic  which 
really  was,  on  the  face  of  it,  far  ahead  of  other 
arithmetics  in  fitness  for  the  use  of  children,  would 
it,  on  its  merits  alone,  stand  much  of  a  chance  for 
sale,  do  you  think?  " 

He  (laughing).     "No,  perhaps  not,  on  its  merits 
alone." 

I.  "  Which  arithmetic  gets  the  sale,  the  best  one 
or  the  best  pushed  one?  " 

He.  "  We  do  have  to  do  a  good  deal  of  pushing." 

I.  "  And    if    an    absolutely    perfect    arithmetic 

should  enter  the  lists,  its  perfection  would  not  be  a 

large  element  in  contributing  to  its  success." 

He.  "  I  don't  know  that  it  would,  really." 

This  little  incident  gives  a  hint,  perhaps,  why 

nobody  writes  arithmetics  for  the  children.     x\rith- 

metics  are  for  publishing  houses.     Each  one  wants 

one  of  its  own.     And  there's  more  money  and  less 

risk  in  an  arithmetic  of.  the  "  regular  kind  ";  and 

the  "  regular  kind  "  is  complexly  "  scientific."     For 

the  present,  in  spite  of  prevailing  theories  to  the 

contrary,  the  current  of  actual  arithmetic-teaching 

is  not  set  in  the  direction  of  simplicity.     The  old 

love  prevails  for  words  and  rules,  and  forms  and 


180       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

formulas,  for  superabundant  explanations  and  ex- 
planations of  explanations,  and  apparatus  and  ap- 
pliances, for  teaching  this  simplest  of  simple  sub- 
jects,— the  only  method  scorned  being  the  direct, 
each-in-his-own-way  coming  at  the  simple  problems 
required  in  actual  life,  and  for  further  mathematics. 
Eesult:  a  double  or  treble  portion  of  time  must  be 
given  to  arithmetic  during  the  whole  eight  or  ten 
years  of  primary  and  grammar-school  work,  and 
must  even  then,  have  a  "  finishing  off  "  course  if  ex- 
amination in  it  is  required  for  college  or  technical 
school.  And,  after  all  that,  how  small  the  number 
in  practical  life  who  are  "  good  at  figures  "!  There 
are  a  few,  it  is  freely  acknowledged,  who  like  arith- 
metic in  the  schools,  nevertheless,  I  do  not  believe 
it  is  overstating  the  truth  to  say  that  it  is  the  most 
universally  "hated,"  and  shirked,  and  failed-in 
study  in  the  schools  to-day. 

Arithmetic  should  be  one  of  the  incidental  things 
in  the  primary,  and  I  am  not  sure  but  also  in  the 
grammar,  grades,  not  the  central  one;  one  of  the 
side-dishes  at  the  feast,  not  the  piece  de  resistance. 
A  glance  at  the  French  course  of  instruction  as 
given  in  President  Eliot's  "  Educational  Eef orm," 
makes  it  seem  as  if  it  were  really  so  in  France.  By 
that  schedule,  during  the  primary  and  grammar- 


ARITHMETIC  181 

school  age,  the  time  devoted  to  arithmetic  is  about 
a  third  as  much  as  we  allot  at  that  age.  The  time 
thus  gained  is  given  largely  to  the  acquisition  of 
foreign  languages.  How  much  more  "natural"! 
and  "scientific"!  For  these  are  the  unreasoning, 
obedient  years  of  parrot-like  imitativeness  and  of 
memory. 

To  roam  about,  even  to  riot,  among  numbers  is  a 
delight  to  children,  and  is,  therefore,  natural.  It 
is  not  a  delight  and  is,  therefore,  not  natural  to  "  do 
arithmetic  "  at  so  early  an  age  as  it  is  done,  or 
attempted  to  be  done,  in  the  schools.  Nor  is  it 
natural  for  young  children  to  do  arithmetic,  or  anj^- 
thing  else,  attended  by  so  much  difficult  terminol- 
ogy. A  little  girl  of  my  acquaintance  used  to  talk 
about  the  toperator  and  denominator  of  fractions. 
On  our  quizzing  her  a  little  she  said  jauntily:  "  Oh,  I 
say  it  that  way  always  so's  to  remember  which  one's 
the  top  one."  "  I  remember  '  divisor  '  all  right," 
said  a  little  chap,  of  long  division,  "  because  it's  the 
divider,  and  besides,  we  use  it  so  much,  but  I  don't 
bother  about  the  others."  "  But  don't  you  use 
'quotient'  just  as  much?"  we  asked.  "Which 
one  is  that?  the  answer?  Well,  I  call  it  the  an- 
swer." 

Children  like,  and  ought  to  have,  small  words 


182       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

with  big  ideas,   not   small  ideas  with  big   words. 
Which  of  ourselves  likes  a  nut  that's  mostly  shell? 

When  all  is  said,  arithmetic  should  not  be  taught 
overmuch.  Like  Science  it  should  be  .  .  .  come 
upon,  worked  out  in  one's  own  way.  And  it  is 
really  so  simple!  Only  common-sense  applications 
of  addition,  subtraction, multiplication, and  division! 
Arithmetic  should  be,  as  it  were,  planted,  tended 
somewhat,  and  be  allowed  to  grow,  according  to  the 
recipe  of  the  "  Natural  Method  "  chapter,  while  we 
go  about  something  else.  Like  other  things  that 
grow,  if  you  think  to  make  it  grow  unduly  fast  and 
keep  pulling  at  it,  you  do  but  dwarf  it.  If  a  child 
of  ten  can  easily  divide  8,764  by  43,  the  size  of  his 
possibilities  in  long  division  will  grow  along  with 
the  size  of  the  rest  of  him,  and  later  on  he  will  have 
no  trouble  in  dividing  6,456,165,769,632  by  45,963  if 
occasion  should  ever  be  unkind  enough  to  require  it 
of  him.  Do  you  not  suppose  Ms  mental  power  is  to 
grow  as  fast  as  his  bodily?  Do  not  waste  precious 
childhood  and  youth  teaching  or  trying  to  teach, 
what  belongs  to  a  later  age,  and  will  almost  surely 
grow,  if  we  will  but  give  it  opportunity,  from  its 
own  Nature-given  impetus.  We  may  indeed,  trust 
a  great  deal  to  the  growing  quality  of  arithmetic. 
Judgment  and  experience  come  late,  and  skill  in 


ARITHMETIC  183 

arithmetic  requires  judgment  and  experience. 
Whether  any  years,  except  those  of  some  specialists, 
are  suited  to  cumbersome  arithmetic  is  a  question, 
but  we  may  be  sure  that  these  early  years  are  not; 
these  open-minded,  romantic,  receptive,  impressible 
days  are  far  too  valuable  for  any  other  than  things 
of  beauty  and  joy  and  use.  They  should  be  given 
over  to  whatever  develops  character:  high  moral 
purpose  and  refinement.  The  heavy  artillery  of 
arithmetic  is  so  soulless,  so  mechanical,  as  to  be 
almost  stultifying  to  the  moral  development  of 
children  who  "  hate  "  it. 

We  had  a  child  whose  mind  balked  in  arithmetic. 
We  lost  all  patience — so  much  easier  it  is  to  preach 
than  to  practise  in  the  matter  of  patience.  Then 
common  sense  and  consistency  flashed  the  thought 
upon  me: 

"  This  child  is  of  at  least  ordinary  intelligence; 
I  am  surely  of  extra-OTdmaTy  patience  in  educa- 
tional matters;  we  must,  therefore,  be  attempting 
unnatural  things."  On  the  spot  I  said  to  the 
child: 

"There!  Close  your  book.  You  need  have  no 
more  to  do  with  arithmetic  for  one  year.  We'll  see 
if  you  won't  grow  to  that!  We'll  try  a  rotation  of 
crops." 


184       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

We  were  given  grace  (which  I  think  was  quite 
remarkable)  to  adhere  to  that  decision,  and  when  at 
the  end  of  the  year,  the  child  went  again  about  her 
arithmetic,  we  were  delighted  and  inconsistently 
amazed  to  observe  the  naturalness  and  ease  with 
which  she  skipped  along,  making  not  the  slightest 
difficulty  over  the  particular  subject  on  which  she 
had  stumbled  so  vexatiously.  And  that  child,  at  a 
later  date,  performed  some  quite  unusual  feats  in 
mathematics,  which  I  cannot  help  fancying  she 
would  never  have  done,  if  she  had  continued  to  be 
nagged  instead  of  being  set  free. 

Under  the  inspiration  of  our  success  in  this  ex- 
periment, on  several  occasions  we  repeated  the  ex- 
perience on  a  smaller  scale,  and  every  time  to  our 
satisfaction.  Plant,  then,  in  Arithmetic;  plant 
assiduously,  and  carefully  cherish  and  tend  your 
plantings,  and  trust  Time  to  bring  the  increase. 
For,  as  I  have  before  observed,  I  cannot  help  look- 
ing upon  Arithmetic  as  the  very  chief  of  the  "  or- 
ganic "  or  "  growing  "  studies.  Teach  the  curious 
inquisitive  youngsters  to  count — by  the  dozens,  by 
the  scores,  by  the  gross;  to  measure  and  to  reckon 
money.  They  love  to  measure  by  the  ounce  and 
pound;  by  the  foot  and  yard  and  rod  and  mile;  to 
solve  easy  and  useful  and   practical  problems  in 


ARITHMETIC  185 

measurements.  But  by  the  sacredness  of  the  laws 
of  childhood,  trust  Nature  with  her  laws  of  growth 
to  do  as  she  pleases  about  developing  them,  later 
on,  to  such  a  point  that  they  will  care  to,  or  be  able 
to,  do  such  things  as  "  Ascertain  what  part  of  a  mile 
is  7  furlongs,  37  rods,  3  yds.,  2  ft.  and  5  inches, 
decimally  and  fractionally,  and  prove  that  the 
answers  are  identical." 

Children  will  take  great  pleasure  in  halving  and 
quartering  things  and,  indeed,  in  learning  all  about 
fractions  which  one  needs  to  know,  provided  they 
are  allowed  to  come  at  it  interestingly,  but  again 
trust  Nature  (if  she  thinks  necessary)  to  get  them 
on  to  such  fractions  as: 

sn  H-  161 


64      18_     ^ 
85  ■*"  19      ^TT 


Aye,  trust  Nature.  All  the  same  I  believe  she 
will  lead  them  on,  not  to  those  particular  attain- 
ments, but  to  far  higher  and  more  uplifting  ones  of 
her  own  choosing.  All  this  in  the  face  of  the  fact 
that  there  are  always  a  few  arithmetical  acrobats  in 
every  class  to  whom  such  gymnastics  are  a  delight 
and  who  shoiild  be  encouraged  to  indulge  in  them. 
It  would,  indeedj  be  cruel  to  force  all  children  to 


186       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

walk  the  tight-rope  because  there  is  now  and  then 
one  who  must  do  it  by  the  very  nature  of  him.     It 
/   would    take   high    courage,   which    we    do    not   yet 
;   possess,  to  require  our  children  to  learn  the  simple 
essentials  of   arithmetic,  and  leave  them  free  to 
follow  their  own  leading  as  to  whether  they  shall 
do  the  "  extras."     Yet  this  is  what  we  should  do, 
more  or  less.     If  we  were  to  do  that  in  all  the  studies, 
/ 1    believe    we    should    get    ourselves    marvellously 
\  astonished  and  delighted,  by  discovering  that  nearly 
I  every  pupil  would  forge  ahead  in  some  direction, 
]  thus  revealing  his  own  peculiar  bent  and  individual- 
ity.    And  most  would  go  far  on  in  the  majority  of 
things. 

No  other  study  lends  itself  more  readily  to  the 
purposes  of  the  "  Natural  Method  "  inventors  than 
Arithmetic;  and  no  subject  is  so  busily  furnished 
forth  with  devices  and  apparatus  and  paraphernalia 
for  its  teaching,  than  this  simplest  of  subjects, 
number.  To  approach  it  comfortably,  and  with 
childlike  directness  and  simplicity  of  vision,  is  the 
one  method  not  permitted.  Consequentl}',  on  all 
sides  is  heard  the  wail  that  children  "  get  on  all  right 
except  in  arithmetic."  Over  and  over  again  and 
everywhere  we  hear  it. 

One  of  our  neighbour's  children  "  had  trouble  " 


ARITHMETIC  187 

in  this  way  with  her  arithmetic.  She  was  doing 
division  of  fractions.  I  supposed  I  had  set  her  free 
from  all  elaborations  when  I  told  her  not  to  bother, 
but  to  turn  her  divisor  upside  down  and  go  ahead 
exactly  as  though  it  were  multiplication,  which  she 
said  was  "  lovely  because  it  was  just  cancellation." 
So  I  asked,  "Why,  what's  the  trouble?"  "Oh,  I 
can't  do  them,"  she  moaned.  "  They  won't  let  us  do 
'em  your  way.  First  you  have  to  divide  or  multiply, 
I  always  forget  which,  by  the  top,  then  do  the  other 
thing  by  the  bottom,  and  it  always  comes  out  wrong, 
for  I  just  try  it  by  that  easy  way  of  yours,  on  the  sly, 
to  see." 

I  took  the  resolve  of  visiting  the  school,  with 
the  ulterior  purpose,  of  course,  of  interceding  in  my 
little  friend's  behalf.  The  teacher  I  knew  well 
for  a  genuine,  sturdy,  reasonable  woman,  enthusias- 
tic in  her  work.  I  gradually  got  the  conversation 
led  up  to  this  "  new  way  "  of  teaching  division  of 
fractions,  smilingly  referring  to  the  good  old  rule  of 
our  day,  "  Invert  the  divisor  and  proceed  as  in 
multiplication,"  meaning  to  show  her  that,  after  all, 
it  isn't  quite  always  necessary  to  understand  such 
rules.  I  felt  quite  triumphant  in  the  success  which 
I  was  about  to  achieve.  Alas!  When  I  referred  to 
her  "  new  way  "  her  face  lighted  immediately: 


188  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

"Isn't  it  fine?"  she  exclaimed.  "Just  think  of 
that  dull,  uncomprehending  way  we  used  to  learn 
it!     And  this  way  is  so  simple!  " 

Her  good-comradeship  was  too  much  for  me. 
How  could  I  be  expected  to  descend  from  that 
pedestal  whereon  stood  the  intelligent  and  modern, 
and  confess  myself  one  of  the  stupid  old  fogies?  I 
made  up  my  mind  to  desert  little  Mary!  Ashamed 
of  it?  Of  course!  But  I  soothed  myself  all  the  way 
home:  "  Anyway,  the  case  was  hopeless.  It  would 
have  been  useless.  Perhaps  I  could  help  Mary  to 
the  new  way,  even  if  it  was  bothersome!  "  etc.,  etc. 
But  once  at  home  again  I  put  her  on  her  own 
defence. 

"  You  tell  the  teacher,"  I  said,  "  that  you  love 
our  way  and  that  you  and  I  always  do  it  that  way, 
and  I  guess  she'll  let  you." 

A  day  or  two  afterwards  I  met  her  and  I  asked: 

"  Well,  how  goes  the  arithmetic?  " 

"  Oh,"  she  replied  happily,  "  the  teacher  laughed 
when  I  told  her,  and  said  '  All  right.'  " 

I'm  sure  that  teacher  scented  cowardice;  but  to 
this  day  Mary  and  I  do  it  "  the  good  old  way  "  with- 
out stopping  to  pay  toll  to  reason,  and  I  have  my 
suspicion  that  the  teacher  does  the  same  when  she 
isn't  setting  an  example  for  her  class. 


ARITHMETIC  189 

There  are  indeed,  some  Gordian  knots  which 
should  be  cut,  not  untied.  The  application  of 
principles  should,  of  course,  be  always  absolutely 
and  clearly  understood.  But  long  division,  square 
root,  and  the  like  are  best  learned  without  bothering 
in  childhood  about  the  reason  for  them.  As  soon 
as  we  get  a  good  grip  on  the  formula,  we  give 
the  reason  the  go-by,  anyway.  Moreover,  these 
reasons  are  too  abstruse  for  childhood.  Children 
do  not  really  get  the  reasons  when  we  think  they  are 
getting  them.  All  the  "  Natural  Methods  "  in  the 
world  won't  make  children  truly  comprehend  mathe- 
matical reasoning  till  they  are  up  to  it,  how- 
ever glibly  they  repeat  the  words  of  your  explana- 
tions. 

And  even  things  which  must  be  understood 
should  not  have  too  many  and  too  wordy  explana- 
tions put  upon  them.  Explanations  are  often  but 
a  painful  rat-tat-tat  on  the  tympanum  of  the  ear. 
Clear  away  the  mists  you  must,  surely,  for  those 
who  are  misty-minded  in  arithmetic;  gently,  sug- 
gestively, never  wordily,  lead  them  to  work  their 
own  way,  you  beside  them  to  open  up  vistas  ahead 
when  courage  or  ability  fails.  When  you  blaze 
your  own  way  through  a  wilderness  you  are  for- 
ever after  able  to  follow  the  trail.     And  the  sense 


190       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

of  accomplishment  gives  such  an  inspiring  sensation 
of  self-respect  and  triumph! 

A  little  friend  of  mine  was  once  working  away 
trying  to  learn  her  addition  tables  "  skipping 
'round."  She  got  the  right  result  every  time,  but 
was  slow  about  it.     I  called  her  to  me. 

"  Tell  me  how  you  get  them,"  I  said,  "  get  me 
seven  and  nine,"  and  after  a  moment  she  gave  me 
the  correct  answer.  "  You  don't  count  it,  do  you?  " 
I  asked. 

"  Oh,  my!  no,"  she  exclaimed.  "  Of  course  that's 
quicker,  but  we  aren't  allowed  to  count."  Then, 
making  elaborate  preparations  as  though  the  per- 
formance were  to  be  a  formidable  one,  she  delivered 
herself  with  great  precision  and  system:  "First  I 
say  two  eights  are  sixteen,  then  seven  is  one  less 
than  eight;  that  makes  it  down  to  fifteen,  then  nine 
is  one  more  than  eight;  that  makes  it  up  again  to 
sixteen.     See? " 

"  And  do  you  do  them  all  that  way?  " 

"  Yes,  'cause  I  know  all  the  twos,  two  eightses 
and  two  sevenses  and  all  of  'em." 

I  praised  her  way  of  course,  then  asked  her  if  she 
would  like  to  know  my  way.  She  was  doubtful;  it 
was  all  so  laborious!  but  she  consented,  and  it  was 
my  turn  for  elaborate  preparation!     I  meant  to  ex- 


ARITHMETIC  191 

plain  that  thing  so  simply  that  the  child  should  never 
again  have  anything  but  pleasure  in  it!  Adult 
egotism  once  more!     I  began  cautiously: 

"  Let's  see.  It's  seven  and  nine.  You  know 
seven  and  ten  are " 

"  Goodness  gracious!  "  interrupted  the  child  with 
a  wild  jump,  "  what  a  goose  I  am!  why  didn't  I  ever 
think  of  getting  'em  from  the  tens?  It  Just  goes 
down  one!     Give  me  all  the  nines  there  are!  quick!  " 

She  answered  them  all  promptly  and  with  the 
greatest  glee,  for  she  was  a  child  slow  in  number 
and  taking  it  rather  hard,  and  here  were  "  a  whole 
lot  of  'em  all  off  "  at  one  fell  swoop.  She  did  the 
eights  in  the  same  way  "  going  down  two." 

Do  you  take  it  that  I  taught  her  my  way?  Not 
a  bit;  it  was  her  own  struggles,  her  familiarity  with 
the  field,  that  made  her  catch  so  quickly  at  the 
vision  of  things  through  that  wee  little  opened  vista. 

In  my  childhood  the  one  great  "  Natural  Method," 
the  open  sesame  in  arithmetic,  was  Analysis.  "  Ee- 
turn  always  to  unity "  was  dinned  into  our  ears 
ad  nauseam,  till  Colhurn's  Mental  Arithmetic,  which 
should  have  been  the  delight  of  my  Arithmetic- 
adoring  mind,  became  a  vexation  and  a  scourge. 

Superintendent  Martin  speaks  with  great  admira- 
tion of  that  Colhurn's  Arithmetic  of  our  old  school 


192  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

days,  as  an  "  efficient  force  in  raising  the  standard 
of  instruction."  "  This  book  came  into  the 
schools,"  he  says,  "  as  refreshing  as  a  northwest 
wind,  and  as  stimulating.  .  .  ,  Embodying  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  New  Education,  it  wrought  a  revolu- 
tion in  the  teaching  of  arithmetic,  and  it  determined 
the  character  of  all  subsequent  arithmetics." 

Colhurri's  Arithmetic  was  meant  to  be,  and  ought 
to  have  been,  "  A  refreshing  breeze  "  in  the  arithme- 
tic class,  but  it  did  not  take  the  conventional  teacher 
of  that  day  long  to  get  it  thoroughly  hated. 

"If  7  oranges  cost  21  cents,  how  much  will  17 
oranges  cost?"  And  the  answer  was  ready  the 
moment  the  teacher  arrived  at  the  interrogation 
point.  Easy  enough!  Two  31's  for  14  oranges, 
and  9  cts.  for  the  other  three, — 51  cents.  And 
now  the  "  fun  "  was  over!  Instead  of  being  led  on 
to  another  and  another  and  still  another  of  these 
delightful  mental  gymnastics,  we  must  stop  and 
tumble  and  stumble  over  this  thing,  first  of  course 
repeating  the  question: 

"If  7  oranges  cost  21  cents,  one  orange  will  cost 
as  much  as  seven  cents  will  go  into  31  cents,  which 
is  three  cents;  if  one  orange  costs  three  cents,  17 
oranges  will  cost  17  times  3  cents,  which  is — (long 
pause) — 51  cents.     Therefore,  if  15  oranges"  etc., 


ARITHMETIC  193 

etc.     The  mcmor}-  of  all  that  makes  me  angry  when 
I  think  of  it,  even  at  the  present  day. 

Possibly  you  think  such  nonsense  is  done  away 
with,  and  it  is,  in  most  places,  in  quite  such  verbose 
formality,  but  one  is  astonished,  even  now,  in  visit- 
ing schools,  to  see  a  vast  amount  of  this  sort  of 
nagging  of  the  children.     What  if  the  child  does 
get  the  right  answer?     The  conscientious  teacher's 
soul  is  not  satisfied  till  she  is  sure  that  he  has  done 
it  in  her  way,  which  is,  of  course,  the  natural  and 
best  way.    I  believe  such  bothering  is  an  even  bigger 
drawback  to  children's  morals  than  it  is  to  their 
arithmetic.     How  much  of  all  that  committed-to- 
memory  explanation  was  arithmetic?     The  question 
and  the  flashed  answer;  the  rest  was  perhaps  "  lan- 
guage," perhaps  persiflage.     By  all  means  teach  a 
child  to  express  himself,  but  don't  in  the  name  of  ; 
honesty,  call  it  "  arithmetic  "  when  you  force  a  child  \ 
to  rattle  off  someone  else's  ideas  in  that  fashion;  nor    , 
do  it  when  the  child's  mind  should  be  allowed  to  play 
freely  about  his  arithmetic.     Let  him  have  a  chance    ' 
to  acquire  concentration  of  thought,  lack  of  which     \ 
is  the  bane  of — everything.     I  used  to  get  through 
that  formula  painstakingly  and  with  credit,  solely 
for  the  mark,  for  I  was  ambitious,  but  I  did  it  with 
contempt  under  my  jacket,  saying  to  myself: 


194  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

"  Fifty-one's  right;  it's  none  of  your  business  how 
I  got  it;  your  way's  horrid!  "  And  my  impertinence 
of  spirit  was  in  no  manner  subdued  when,  on  giving 
vent  to  my  resentment  at  home,  my  father  hiughed 
at  me  proudly  and  told  me  I  was  right. 

A  young  woman  who  had  just  entered  college  was 
much  impressed  by  the  way  in  which  the  students 
were  held  responsible  for  results  only,  being  left  to 
get  at  them  in  their  own  way. 

"  Don't  you  think,"  she  was  asked,  "  that  the 
college  method  could  be  begun  earlier?" 

"  It  ought  to  be  begun  at  birth!  "  she  exclaimed, 
with  a  little  blaze  in  her  eyes  that  opened  up 
a  whole  revelation  of  past  school  befuddlements 
over  which  her  mind  was  evidently  travelling 
back. 

This  girl  had  never  had  the  "  regular  training  " 
in  arithmetic,  and  she  had  all  sorts  of  individual 
ways  and  short  cuts  'cross  lots,  of  getting  at  things. 
One  day  in  helping  out  a  young  fellow  of  about 
seventeen,  I  said: 

"  Oh,  come,  you  are  altogether  too  old  to  go 
around  Robin  Hood's  barn  like  that.  So-and-so 
[referring  to  this  young  woman]  would  do  that  like 
this " 

"  She! "  he  interrupted,  with  a  good  deal  of  heat, 


ARITHMETIC 


195 


"  well,  she  never  studied  arithmetic  like  the  rest  of 
us,  and,  of  course,  she  does  things  the  easiest  way. 
But  I  tell  you  when  a  fellow  gets  put  through  the 
paces  for  years,  he  just  can't  do  things  those  easy 
ways;  he's  just  got  to  take  it  regular!  " 

What  a  comment!  .  Couldn't  do  arithmetic  the 
easy  ways  because  he  had  studied  it  so  long! 

This  young  woman  told  us  of  an  amusing  incident 
which  occurred  in  the  chemical  laboratory  at 
college.  They  had  come  to  a  place  where  they  were 
pausing  to  make  calculations;  she  made  hers  and 
stepped  sociably  over  to  her  neighbour  to  compare 
results.  The  neighbour  glanced  at  the  figures  and 
asked,  "Why,  how  did  you  do  it  so  easily?"  She 
was  shown,  and  expressed  admiration  and  apparent 
satisfaction,  but  a  little  later  my  friend  noticed  that 
she  had  not  gone  on  with  her  experiment,  but  was 
still  going  through  her  calculations  with  worried 
brow.  She  asked,  "  Didn't  you  quite  understand 
it?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  indeed,"  was  the  answer,  "  and  it  was 
fine,  but  I  thought  I  had  better  do  it  the  regular 
way  and  be  sure." 

Now,  I  ask  you,  shouldn't  the  shortest  and  easiest 
way  in  arithmetic  be  the  "regular"  way?  And 
hadn't  that  young  woman  surely  been  a  victim  of 


196  PEDAGOGUES  AND   PARENTS 

the  "  Generation  of  Artificial  Stupidity  in  Arithme- 
tic "?  This  generation  of  stupidity  is  begun  in  the 
schools  as  soon  as  written  work  begins,  and  there 
are  too  many  arithmetic  victims  all  about  us.  Does 
not  our  lad's  home-work  savour  somewhat  of  it  this 
week? 

"  What  is  the  ratio  of  5  yds.  4  ft.  14  in.  to  3  yds. 
5  ft.? 

"  John  has  4  gals.  5  qts.  2  pts.  of  molasses  in  his 
jug  and  Jane  has  7  gals.  6  qts.  5  pts.  in  hers.  What 
is  the  ratio  of  John's  molasses  to  Jane's?  " 

Notice  the  refinement  of  nagging,  "  5  qts.  and  2 
pts ";  "  3  yds.  and  5  ft."  Ratio  is  the  "  Natural 
Method  "  over  there  just  now.  They  are  ratio-mad. 
One  wonders  what  is  the  ratio  of  the  sense  to  the 
nonsense  in  it  all. 

Dropping  in  at  a  friend's  house  the  other  evening, 
we  found  their  little  girl  working  away  at  her 
omnipresent  arithmetic.  She  was  "  doing  well  at 
school  in  all  but  arithmetic."  She  is  a  bright  girl 
and  there  is  no  excuse  whatever  for  her  not  "  doing 
well "  in  that  as  in  her  other  lessons;  yet  there  is 
danger  of  her  being  kept  back  for  an  entire  year  in 
all  her  other  lessons  on  account  of  arithmetic.  This 
particular  evening  "  a  great  long  example "  was 
bothering  her. 


ARITHMETIC  197 

*'  It's  easy  enough,"  she  exclaimed,  "  but  it's  so 
horrid  long."     I  looked  over  her  shoulder. 

"What  is  25^  of  125^,  of  75^,  of  50^,  of  384 
inches?" 

She  had  worked  it  out  thus,  only  she  had  made  a 
mistake  somewhere: 

1.25 
.25 
625 
250 


.3125 

.15 

15625 
21875 
.234375 

^ 

.11718750 
384 
46875000 
93750000 
35156250 


45.00000000  inches 


I  should  not  give  this  incident,  nor  take  so  much 
pains  to  give  the  entire  work,  were  it  not  so  good  an 
illustration,  so  fair  a  type,  of  what  is  going  on  in 
the  schools.  This  child  is  a  pupil  in  one  of  the 
best  schools  of  Boston.  I  easily  led  her  to  see  this 
short  method: 

8 


198  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

But  she  showed  little  interest. 

"  Of  course  it's  nice,"  she  said  nervously,  "  but 
she'll  call  it  wrong,  I  know  she  will."  Her  one 
thought,  repeated  again  and  again,  was  to  get  at 
whatever  the  teacher  would  "  call  right."  Finally 
we  induced  her  to  pass  it  in  the  "  regular  way," 
since  she  felt  that  her  perfect  mark  was  more 
assured  by  that  method,  but  to  ask  the  teacher 
about  the  short  way,  too.  Next  day  she  told  me 
that  the  teacher  had  "  Just  said.  Oh,  of  course  you 
could  do  it  fractionally,  but  the  decimal  way  is 
better." 

Ask  any  business  accountant  if  the  shortest  way 
is  not  the  best  way.  We  parents  are  asleep.  We 
should  insist  upon  a  different  state  of  things  in 
arithmetic. 

In  his  paper  on  "  Can  School  Programmes  be 
Shortened  and  Enriched?"  President  Eliot  writes 
with  some  heat: 

"  Is  it  not  an.  abominable  waste  of  the  time  and 
strength  of  children  to  put  them  to  doing  in  a 
difficult  way,  never  used  in  real  life,  something  they 
will  be  able  to  do  in  an  easy  way  a  year  or  two  later? 
To  introduce  any  artificial  hardness  into  the  course 
of  training  that  any  human  being  has  to  follow,  is 
an  unpardonable  educational  sin.     There  is  hard- 


ARITHMETIC  199 

nees  enough  in  this  world  without  manufacturing 
any,  particularly  for  children." 

That  is  a  word  needed  on  arithmetic  almost  every- 
where. Think  of  the  pages  of  figures,  maddening 
in  the  almost  utter  impossibility  of  getting  them 
correct,  for  which  boys  and  girls  sacrifice  hours  of 
precious  freedom  in  doing  examples  in  compound 
interest!  They  should  be  taught  to  do  them  from 
the  computed  tables,  as  business  men  do  them! 
But  it  is  the  same  in  all  parts  of  the  arithmetic! 

I  have  a  friend  who  had  a  boy  in  the  Public 
School  of  a  large  city.  That  the  boy  is  dull  in 
arithmetic  is  without  doubt,  but  the  father  is  a 
natural  arithmetician,  and  could  have  assisted  the 
boy  and  kept  him  up  with  his  class,  but  he  could 
not  get  into  touch  with  the  exact  school  forms  into 
which  the  work  was  required  to  be  put  at  the  school, 
and  as  no  other  would  be  accepted,  he  was  helpless. 
At  length  the  boy  was  forbidden  to  have  any  help 
at  home.  He  was  at  last  forced  to  leave  school  and 
has  gone  to  work, — and  is  giving  good  satisfaction. 
I  remonstrated  with  the  father  quite  hotly  on  the 
matter  of  his  yielding  so  tamely,  and  he  asked  me 
what  I  supposed  one  man  could  do  against  a  great 
institution  like  the  Public  School  System  of  a  big 
city!     Is  not  the  whole  incident  a  fine  illustration 


200       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

of  the  need  there  is  that  Parents  should  be  hand 
in  hand  with  Pedagogues  in  the  matter  of  Educa- 
tion? But  such  illustrations  can  be  furnished  with- 
out end. 

Children  should  have  an  arithmetic  simple 
enough  to  be  put  into  their  hands  as  soon  as  they 
have  arrived  at  a  point  where  it  is  wise  for  them  to 
do  "written  arithmetic."  It  should  be  so  attract- 
ive and,  if  possible,  should  be  so  well  besprinkled 
with  illustrations  and  all  sorts  of  knacky  little 
things  to  entice  them,  that  we  might  feel  ourselves 
justified  in  saying  to  them,  "  Master  this  book 
completely,  every  bit  of  it."  There  should  be  not 
one  single  thing  in  it  which  every  child  could  not 
understand,  and  absolutely  no  wordy,  "  scientific  " 
rules  and  explanations.  The  class  should  then  be 
required  to  go  right  through  it  from  beginning  to 
end,  each  pupil  domg  it  his  own  way  and  talcing  his 
own  pace.  Of  course  I  know  that  is  heresy,  but 
heresy  has,  in  all  history,  usually  been  able  in  the 
end,  to  hold  up  its  head.  If  it  is  done  rightly  and 
sympathetically,  this  thing  can  be  done;  and  it 
ought  to  be  done — in  this  manner  or  in  some  other. 
By  some  method  the  arithmetic  disease  should  be 
'  cured,  for  even  with  all  the  time  and  all  the  nerve- 
energy  of  the  children  which  is  at  present  allotted 


ARITHMETIC  201 

to  it,  very  few  people  out  in  the  practical  world, 
handle  their  few  little  problems  with  naturalness 
and  ease. 

Teachers  are  vaguely  or  clearly  conscious  of  this 
need  of  a  simple,  lovable  arithmetic,  as  is  seen  by 
the  fact  that  in  many  schools,  the  children's  lessons 
are  given  out  from  the  blackboard.  The  teacher 
hunts  down  the  examples  in  various  arithmetics, 
writes  them  on  the  board,  often  hurriedly  during 
recess  or  after  school,  too  frequently  in  small  pale 
handwriting,  in  high  lights  or  low  lights  or  no 
lights,  to  be  copied  off  by  the  pupil;  he  does  it 
accurately,  perhaps,  but  ''  any  old  how,"  "  just  so  I 
can  read  it  myself,"  at  the  close  of  the  five-hour 
confinement  when  accuracy  is  even  less  natural  to 
him  than  usual.  In  the  evening  the  smudgy  copy 
is  pulled  forth  from  the  miscellaneous  child-pocket 
contents,  and  read  by  whatever  light  good  or  ill 
fortune  happens  to  supply  him.  And  now,  in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten,  tired  enough  to  go  to  bed,  the  little 
student  is  obliged  to  muster  up  enough  brain,  not 
only  to  work  out  the  examples,  but  to  get  them  into 
exactly  the  form  which  the  brainy  teacher  has 
evolved  as  the  "  Natural  "  one.  And  nothing  must 
be  forgotten.  Said  our  little  chap  the  other  day  on 
returning  from  school: 


202  TEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

"  I  can  never  remember  to  put  the  period  after 
Ans  and  so  half  the  time  I  lose  my  100^.  But," 
angrily,  "  I  don't  see  that  it  is  wrong." 

"  No,  it  isn't,"  we  agreed.  "  How  many  legs  has 
a  horse  if  you  count  the  tail  as  a  leg?  " 

That  question  is  our  stock  consolation  in  such 
cases  and  he  answered  gaily  as  he  ran  off  to  play: 

"  Four  just  the  same;  calling  it  a  leg  doesn't  make 

it  a  leg." 

'    We  never  intend  to  discredit  the  teacher,  but  we  ? 

shall  always  see  to  it  that  every  child  who  has  to  do    '' 

'( 
with  us,  learns  to  distinguish  the  real  thing  from  i 

the  red  tape  it  gets  wrapped  up  in. 

It  would  be  easy  to  write  an  entire  book  on  the 
subject  of  "  Sense  and  Nonsense  in  Arithmetic." 
But  in  this  book,  the  simple,  beautiful,  ill-handled 
subject  of  Arithmetic,  no  matter  how  much  atten- 
tion it  needs  and  deserves,  can  have  but  its  one 
chapter.  We  regretfully  omit  the  other  two  hun- 
dred pages  we  should  like  to  write  upon  it! 

In  closing  I  will  only  entreat  Parents  to  beware 
of  hard,  forehead-wrinkling  Arithmetic  for  their 
children.  In  childhood  the  mathematical  faculty 
seems  the  one  least  rampant.  Let  required  judg- 
ment and  reasoning  in  children  be  small,  but  let 
them  acquire  fluency  and  accuracy  in  simple  practi- 


ARITHMETIC  203 

cal  problems  as  fast  as  they  can  do  it  normally.  If, 
at  eighteen  or  so,  when  the  reasoning  age  has 
arrived,  we  have  the  wisdom  to  do  as  the  French  do, 
and  allow  a  short  finishing-off  course  in  Arithmetic, 
we  shall  find  that  the  harvest  will  be  plenteous  even 
though  the  labour  upon  it  has  not  been  excessive — 
provided  that  it  has  been  intelligent  labour.  Time, 
the  great  co-worker,  gives  rich  increase  on  fertile 
soil. 


XI 

CHILD  MORALITY 

"  His  best  companions,  Innocence  and  Health, 
And  his  best  riches,  Ignorance  of  Wealth." 

— Goldsmith. 

Would  that  I  could  approach  the  subject  of  the 
Moral  Education  of  children  filled  with  something 
of  the  confidence  which  was  mine  when  I  penned  the 
chapter  on  Arithmetic!  Such  a  subject  is  not  mine 
to  write  upon,  and  were  it,  I  should  want  a  book, 
not  a  chapter,  to  write  it  in.  Too  many  wise  and 
helpful  things  have  been  said  and  written  upon  the 
moral  and  spiritual  training  of  the  young,  for  me  to 
have  the  presumption  to  do  more  than  present  a  few 
fragmentary  thoughts  on  the  subject.  It  is  with 
faltering  steps  that  I  do  even  that,  so  far  does  the 
right  foundation  of  character  transcend  in  impor- 
tance all  other  considerations  in  education,  being, 
indeed,  the  sole  end  for  which  education  exists. 
"  Unless  your  cask  be  perfectly  clean  whatever  you 
put  into  it  will  sour."  Obscured  morality,  founda- 
tionless  character,  is  least  evil  with  least  of  technical 

204 


CHILD    MORALITY  205 

education;  even  as  unskilled  rascality  is  less  powerful 
for  harm  than  skilled  rascality.  "  The  most 
atrocious  miscreant  of  our  time,  if  not  of  all  time," 
writes  Compayre,  "was  a  man  who  contrived  a 
machine  to  sink  ships  in  mid-ocean,  his  only  object 
being  to  gain  a  sum  of  money  on  a  false  insurance." 
How  helpless  would  have  been  the  evil  desire  with- 
out the  skill  behind  it! 

It  goes  without  saying  that  if  we  ought  to  train 
the  body  to  its  highest  usefulness  as  a  worthy  in- 
strument of  the  soul,  we  ought  to  train  that  soul  to 
its  maximum  of  righteousness.  From  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end  of  education,  from  birth  to  death, 
the  one  paramount  aim  should  be  to  develop  charac- 
ter. How  then,  shall  we  define  ideal  character? 
Is  ideal  character  more  than  this:  highly  developed 
power  controlled  by  noble  aims? 

Can  we  teacli  morals?  Can  we  teach  those  things 
Avhich  make  for  this  high  ideal?  Children  are  sus- 
ceptible, confiding  creatures;  they  can  be  taught 
almost  anything,  and  really  can  be  influenced — for 
a  time — by  precept  unrelated  to  example.  But 
teaching  will  seldom  long  prevail  without  an  ac- 
companying true  life  behind  it;  in  the  end  it  is  real 
things  which  influence.  It  will  ever  be  personality 
which   will    dominate, — the   character   behind   the 


906       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

words.  Was  it  not  President  Garfield  who  de- 
fined a  university  as  a  log  with  Mark  Hopkins  sit- 
ting on  one  end  of  it  and  a  young  man  on  the 
cither?  Not,  mind  you,  any  professor,  but  a  Mark 
Hopkins! 

A  young  friend  of  mine,  having  selected  one  of 
her  courses  in  college,  attended  one  recitation,  then 
gave  it  up  for  another,  giving  as  her  reason:  "I 
couldn't  meet  that  fossil  twice  a  week  for  a  whole 
year;  I'd  rather  take  anything  with  a  whole  man  at 
the  wheel."  There  should  be  no  fossils  among 
college  professors;  very  likely  this  one  was  not; 
youth  is  often  hypercritical  and  notional.  All  the 
same,  struck  by  this  student's  attitude,  I  have  many 
times  since,  advised  students  to  select  their  college 
courses  with  the  idea  well  in  view,  of  coming  in  con- 
tact with  the  highest  type  of  personality  and  charac- 
ter, even  at  some  little  sacrifice  in  the  choice  of 
studies;  and  I  would  advise  parents,  so  far  as  is 
possible,  to  bear  this  thing  in  mind  in  placing  their 
children  at  school.  This  idea  was  well  understood 
ages  ago  by  the  wise.     Plutarch  writes: 

"  When  a  child  has  arrived  at  such  an  age  as  to 
be  put  under  the  care  of  pedagogues,  great  care  is  to 
be  used  .  .  .  for  it  is  a  true  proverb  that,  if  you 
live  with  a  lame  man  you  will  halt." 


CHILD    MORALITY  207 

I  forget  who  it  is  who  has  forcibly  put  the  idea  in 
this  form: 

"  The  foal  of  the  racer  neither  finds  out  his  speed 
nor  calls  out  his  powers,  if  pastured  out  with  the 
common  herd,  that  are  destined  for  the  collar  and 
the  yoke." 

This  thought  is  a  most  common  one  in  the  works 
of  educators, — the  infinite  need  of  life  behind  pre- 
cept. That  fable  is  a  striking  one  of  the  young 
crab  which,  in  reply  to  his  mother's  directions  for 
walking,  asked,  "  But,  mother,  why  don't  you  walk 
straight?"  and  then  forever  afterwards  walked 
after  the  manner  of  her  example  and  not  of  her 
precept.  It  was  the  life  behind  the  teachings 
which,  two  thousand  years  ago,  gave  Christianity  an 
impetus,  the  force  of  which  is  still  as  strong  as  at 
the  start. 

Sorrowfully  we  know  it,  we  are  not  ideal  enough, 
neither  Parents  nor  Pedagogues,  to  do  our  whole  duty 
in  the  character-forming  of  our  children,  solely  from 
the  influence  emanating  from  our  personality.  We 
do  have  to  have  ways  of  regulating  things  with 
them.  Free  from  evil  we  receive  them  into  the 
world;  shortly,  too  shortly,  they  begin  to  lose  their 
purity.  We  cannot  now,  as  of  old,  believe  that  it  is 
on  account  of  inherent  total  depravity.     Bather  do 


208       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

we  not  wonder  if  it  be  not,  in  good  part,  because  of 
the  unwisdom  of  us  who  have  long  been  here,  and 
are — "  sophisticated,"  perhaps  that  word  will  ex- 
press it.  Childhood,  in  the  very  inexperience  of  it, 
is  uncaretaking  and  irresponsible,  yields  to  present 
impulse.  Let  us  not  fear  too  much;  not  too  much 
nag  children,  because  of  their  frailties, — we  will 
not  call  them  faults.  One  wonders  often  if  children 
really  have  "  faults  ";  if  they  are  either  "  good  "  or 
"  bad,"  being  in  great  measure  little  automatons, 
for  whose  performances  we  should  hold  environ- 
ment and  companionship  responsible!  At  times, 
and  I  am  not  sure  but  at  all  times,  it  seems  so. 
This  is  not  of  course,  an  idea  the  least  bit  original; 
it  is  a  fairly  well  supported  one.  If  it  be  a  true  one, 
it  will  justify  us  in  imitating  somewhat  the  wisdom 
of  the  Old  Testament  Jehovah,  who  is  recorded  as 
having  "  winked  at  the  iniquities  of  Israel."  'The 
course  for  us  to  pursue  is  not  too  much  to  punish  and 
correct  faults,  but  to  ignore  these  and  induce  vir- 
tues.)  It  is,  indeed,  one  of  the  highest  functions  of 
both  Pedagogues  and  Parents  to  sweep  children  into 
currents  of  the  true  and  beautiful,  that  imperfections 
shall  find  no  place  and  shall  disappear. 

Only  of  inherent  cruelty  and  cunning  would  we 
make  exception.     These  two  vices  should  be  re- 


CHILD   MORALITY  209 

garded  as  diseases,  and  should  have  active  warfare 
waged  against  them;  even  then  it  is  doubtful 
if  they  ever  get  wholly  eradicated.  Many  a  child 
tells  "  fibs  ";  many  a  one  is  often  thoughtlessly  cruel; 
but  if  you  know  of  a  boy  or  girl  who  sneaks  through 
the  world  by  "  ways  that  are  dark  and  tricks  that 
are  vain/'  spare  no  pains  to  keep  your  child  out  of 
his  company;  you  don't  want  him  on  the  other  end 
of  the  log  in  your  child's  university.  No  more  do 
you  want  the  boy  who  can  deliberately  pull  the  hind 
legs  oif  a  live  frog  because  he  has  heard  that  they 
are  good  to  eat.  We  may,  however,  thank  Nature, 
who  has  an  especial  kindness  for  children,  that  she 
almost  universally  gives  them  so  good  a  start  that 
they  may  go  through  their  earliest  years  head  and 
heart  high.  And  so  it  should  be!  Who  would  have 
it  otherwise?  Is  not  a  happy-hearted  child,  care- 
free, because  conscience-free,  the  freshest,  breeziest, 
most  inspiring  thing  you  ever  encounter?  Would 
that  we  might  ourselves  become  as  little  children 
and  be  fit  companions  for  them.  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
meant  more  than  we  realise  when  he  said  "  Except 
ye  become  as  little  children." 

"  The  thoughts  of  youth  are  long,  long 
thoughts; "  let  us  as  far  as  we  can,  accord  a  long, 
long  childhood  for  the  maturing  of  them.     We  are 


210       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

often  told  that  the  higher  the  species,  the  longer 
is  its  childhood.  Are  there  not  some  intimations 
that  this  may  also  be  true  of  the  individual?  The 
rushed-through  Yankee  may  win  our  admiration  for 
his  smartness,  but  he  certainly  is  not  so  fine  a 
specimen  of  a  man  as  is  he  who  has  reflection  and 
gentleness  cultivated  along  with  power.  Indeed, 
reflection  and  gentleness  are  sources  of  the  highest 
sort  of  power.  But  by  the  very  nature  of  reflection 
and  gentleness,  they  require  a  more  leisurely  de- 
velopment. Moreover,  any  virtue  which  is  grown 
into  is  almost  sure  to  have  a  finer  fragrance  than 
one  that  is  "  taught." 

As  for  virtue,  which  is  but  a  right  condition  of 
the  mind  and  heart,  I  wonder  if  it  is  not  a  bit  of 
that  same  "  adult  egotism "  that  makes  us  fancy 
that  we  can  to  any  great  extent  teach  it  to  children, 
even  if  we  may  to  adults.  Children  are  far  more 
uncompromising  and  direct  in  their  conceptions  of 
right  than  we  sophisticated,  calculating  grown-ups 
are.  Theodore  Parker  said  of  some  one  that  he  did 
not  know  that  a  straight  line  is  the  shortest  distance 
between  two  points  in  morals  as  well  as  in  geometry. 
That  is  true  of  too  many  of  us,  but  children,  unless 
they  have  been  corrupted  by  adult  sophistry,  know  it. 
instinctively;  they  take  it  for  granted.     You  will 


CHILD    MORALITY  211 

recall  the  newspaper  story  of  the  two  little  girls 
hurrying  along  to  school  lest  they  should  be  late, 
*•  Let's  kneel  right  down  here  and  pray  that  we  shall 
not  be  late,"  proposed  one  of  them;  a  good  illustra- 
tion of  one  who  had  been  corrupted  by  adult 
sophistry.  "  No,"  responded  the  other  who  was 
Nature's  own,  "we'll  skin  right  along  and  pray  as 
we  go." 

A  whole  book  might  be  written  upon  the  subject 
of  our  sinfulness  in  corrupting  the  moral  and 
religious  sentiments  of  children.  Our  little  girl 
and  a  "  chum "  were  once  studying  their  Sunday 
School  lesson.  It  was  of  the  Pharisee  and  the 
Publican. 

"  Did  you  ever  have  a  playmate  who  felt  herself 
a  little  better  than  the  others?  "  was  a  question  read 
out.  The  younger  child  looked  wondering  and 
thoughtful. 

"  Why,  no,"  she  replied,  "  I  don't  think  I  ever 
did."  And  she  had  been  playing  all  summer  with 
just  that  sort  of  a  companion! 

"  I  have,"  exclaimed  the  older  girl,  scorning  the 
simplicity  of  the  younger.  "  Lots  of  girls  are  stuck 
up!  " 

I  hastened  over  and  sent  the  children  off  to  play. 
It  was  unbearable  to  witness  the  process  of  teaching 


212       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

a  child  to  look  for  evil  in  her  companions  when  her 
sweet  soul  was  tuned  only  to  the  good  in  them! 
One  of  the  divinest  of  our  tasks  with  children  is 
to  protect  the  growth  of  their  natural,  uncompro- 
mising virtue.  We  may  do  it  with  some  degree  of 
success  while  they  are  in  the  nursery.  It  is  our  re- 
proach that  not  until  they  get  out  into  the  world, 
and  bring  the  search-light  of  their  keen  young 
intellects  to  bear  upon  our  actual  doings,  do  their 
moral  muddlings  begin.  "  Children  stand  out  in 
contrast  to  adults  by  reason  of  their  uncorrupted 
nature;  they  are  more  upright  and  honest,  and  it  is 
contact  with  the  stupidity  of  adults  that  spoils 
children  and  breeds  criminals."  There  is  a  pretty 
story  of  Gorgo,  the  little  Greek  maiden,  who  after- 
wards became  the  wife  of  Leonidas,  the  hero  of 
Thermopylas.  When  a  child  of  eight  years  she 
happened  to  be  in  the  room  one  day  while  a  mes- 
senger was  trying  to  bribe  her  father  to  aid  the 
Persians.  He  offered  ten  talents  at  first,  and 
gradually  raised  the  sum  until  the  child,  suspecting 
danger,  said:  "  Go  away,  father,  this  stranger  Avill 
corrupt  you."  The  discussions  of  the  youngsters 
during  the  present  world  disturbances,  have  been  of 
great  interest  to  me.  They  shoot  like  an  arrow 
straight  at  the  mark. 


CHILD   MORALITY  213 

"The  Philippines  aren't  ours;  we've  no  right  to 
take  'em.  Suppose  some  one  should  try  to  take  us?  " 
"  The  English  are  mean  to  fight  the  Boers,"  ex- 
claimed our  lad  hotly;  "  it's  none  of  their  business 
what  the  Boers  do;  if  they  don't  like  it,  let  'em  go 
home!  "  Simple  solutions  for  everything!  On  the 
opposing  side  they  are  just  as  direct.  "  Well,  we 
can  get  money  out  of  'em  and  we  want  'em!  " 

"  The  secret  of  preserving  the  good,  the  true 
office  of  Education,  lies  not  in  sermons,  harangues, 
idle  talk,  but  in  pure  air,  healthy  food,  good  cor- 
poreal and  mental  exercise,  the  never-failing  pres- 
ence and  example  of  moral  customs  and  habits, — the 
harmony  of  healthy  social  life."  But  we  are  on 
the  road  to  Utopia  again!  We  must  return;  Utopia 
is  not  practical.  But  children  are  not,  even  in 
Utopia,  unalloyed  perfection  and  delight.  Child- 
hood's sins  are  many  everywhere.  It  is  not  in  me, 
however,  to  take  pleasure  in  discoursing  upon  them, 
even  when  I  have  time  and  space  which  now  I  surely 
have  not.  There  is  one  of  these  sins,  nevertheless, 
that  I  must  have  my  little  "  say-so  "  upon,  for  it  is  the 
one  of  them  all,  upon  which  the  judgment  of  the 
world  has  always  seemed  to  me  to  be  too  harsh;  it  is 
the  sin  supposed  to  be  childhood's  own,  the  sin  of  ly- 
ing.   "Children  are  natural  liars,"  is  a  proverb  among 


214       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

those  who  have  no  reverence  for  childhood  or  un- 
derstanding of  it.  Are  children  natural  liars? 
Surely  not, — unless  they  happen  to  discover  the 
"  fun  "  or  usefulness  of  a  lie.  Then  young  children 
do  often  have  to  go  through  a  stage  of  fibbing  be- 
fore they  can  discover  the  glory  which  belongs  to 
truth.  They  will  go  on,  up  to  a  certain  time,  with 
hair-splitting  attention  to  truth  and  exactness; — 
be  it  understood  of  course  that  I  am  speaking  only  of 
children  whose  environment  is  one  of  truth  and  sin- 
cerity. Sooner  or  later  they  are  certain  to  meet  with 
some  playmate  who  has  a  wonderful  facility  for  draw- 
ing himself  out  of  predicaments  by  that  "  abom- 
ination unto  the  Lord,"  but  "  very  present  help 
in  time  of  trouble,"  a  lie.  At  first  they  wonder; 
then  with  a  who-can't-do-that  air,  they  try  it  them- 
selves, as  they  do  most  new  things  that  they  hear  of 
or  see.  It  must  be  a  marvellous  fascination  when 
they  first  realise  the  ease  and  comfort  which  a  lie 
will  often  bring!  One  of  our  children  went  through 
this  experience.  She  had  gone  nearly  up  to  the 
age  of  five  with  a  devotion  to  truthfulness  and  ac- 
curacy which  nothing  ever  seemed  to  tempt.  Child- 
hood seemed  in  her  the  very  incarnation  of  truth! 
But  alas!  a  family  of  three  young  children  loomed 
suddenly  upon  our  horizon.     The  oldest  was   not 


CHILD    MORALITY  215 

ten.  They  were  a  riotous,  dainty,  fascinating, 
and  lovable  little  group,  but  not  one  of  them  seemed 
to  have  the  faculty  of  distinguishing  between 
a  lie  and  the  truth.  If  it  had  not  been  for 
little  gasps  of  horror  which  would  creep  over  you, 
it  would  have  been  a  delightful  pastime  to  have 
watched  those  graceful  little  imps,  trying  to  keep 
themselves  in  smooth  waters  tjy  reeling  off  anything 
that  happened  to  come  into  their  curly  heads  in 
defence  of  themselves,  or  in  explanation  of  their 
mischief.  We  wondered  what  the  effect  would 
be  on  our  little  precisionist.  We  were  soon  to 
know. 

"Did  you  do  so-and-so?"  I  asked  at  dinner  one 
day  concerning  something  we  had  forbidden  her  and 
the  others  to  do. 

"  No,  I  didn't,"  she  replied  cheerfully. 

"But  you  did!" 

Down  went  her  knife  and  fork  in  astonishment; 
with  a  gasp,  not  of  shame  but  of  sheer  amazement 
at  our  magical  knowledge,  she  asked: 

"  How  did  you  know?  " 

"  I  saw  you;  why  did  you  say  that  you  did  not  do 
it?  "  With  a  look  of  relief  that  I  was  not  after  all 
a  magician,  the  child  answered  with  a  perfectly 
frank  smile: 


216       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

"  Because  I  did  not  know  that  you  saw  me,"  and 
went  comfortably  on  with  her  dinner.  And  I  am 
inclined  to  believe  that  the  shout  of  laughter  with 
which  the  family  quite  overwhelmed  her,  was  the 
best  possible,  as  it  was  surely  the  most  "  natural," 
corrective;  a  far  more  effective  one  than  any  talk- 
ing to  or  regulation  punishment.  She  joined  the 
other  fibbers  for  the  time,  however,  and  for  a  few 
weeks  held  high  carnival  in  fibbing.  She  returned  to 
her  old  hair-splitting  truth  as  suddenly  as  she  had 
abandoned  it.     In  some  way  she  discovered 

"  What  a  tangled  web  we  weave, 
When  first  we  practise  to  deceive," 

though  how  it  would  have  ended,  if  that  fibbing 
little  triad  had  remained  in  our  neighbourhood,  it  is 
hard  to  say.  Eidicule  and  seriousness  judiciously 
mixed  might  have  made  them,  as  it  did  her,  feel  the 
folly  as  well  as  the  sinfulness  of  lying. 

Sometimes  children  of  lively  imagination  do  not 
bother  to  distinguish  between  fact  and  fancy.  The 
newspapers  related  a  while  ago,  of  course  we  cannot 
tell  how  truthfully,  that  one  of  Rudyard  Kipling's 
children  was  sent  to  bed  for  telling  a  lie,  and  that 
she  went,  whimpering  resentfully  that  "  Papa  gets 
lots  of  money  for  telling  big  lies,  and  I  get  sent  to 


CHILD   MORALITY  217 

bed  for  telling  just  one  little  one!  "  Whether  true 
or  not  the  story  is  apropos. 

Alphonse  Daudet  leaves  a  reminiscence  of  how 
as  late  in  his  childhood  as  twelve  years  of  age  he 
indulged  in  the  pleasure  of  lying.  His  friend, 
Edmund  de  Goncourt,  in  writing  of  one  of  his 
visits  to  him,  gives  the  account  as  illustrative  of 
the  dramatic  instinct: 

"  Daudet  told  us  that  once  when  he  was  twelve 
years  old  he  had  run  away  from  home,  I  think  on 
his  first  love  escapade.  He  returned  somewhat 
frightened,  and  prepared  for  a  terrible  scolding. 
His  mother  opened  the  door,  and  Daudet,  yielding 
to  a  sudden  impulse,  said  to  her, '  The  Pope  is  dead.' 
The  announcement  of  such  news  to  a  good  Catholic 
family  threw  young  Daudet's  affairs  in  the  shade. 
The  next  day  he  announced  that  the  Pope,  who  had 
been  supposed  to  be  dead,  was  better,  and  thanks 
to  this  fertile  power  of  invention,  he  escaped  the 
scolding  and  the  punishment." 

Unless  he  was  a  habitual  story-teller,  which  does 
not  appear  to  have  been  the  case,  I  would  be  willing 
to  answer  for  it  that  the  little  fellow  enjoyed  the 
"  dramatics  "  of  that  experience  far  more  than  he 
cared  for  the  escape  from  punishment.  I  chuckle 
sympathetically  with  him  as  I  remember  what  con- 


218       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

fiicts  there  used  to  be  in  the  long,  long  ago  under 
one  small  Jacket,  between  an  honest  reverence  for 
truth  and  an  intense  love  of  dramatic  effects! 

President  G.  Stanley  Hall  says:  "  Thorough- 
going truthfulness  comes  hard  and  late,  and  school 
life  is  now  so  full  of  temptation  to  falsehood  that 
an  honest  child  is  its  rarest  as  well  as  its  noblest 
work." 

Now  a  lie,  I  grant  you,  is  a  vile  and  dastardly 
thing.  A  lie  will  throw  any  situation  out  of  per- 
spective with  the  meanest  sort  of  promptness. 
Home,  church,  school,  society,  even  politics  should 
set  the  current  of  things  mightily  against  lying, 
"  that  devouring  cancer  of  the  inner  man."  Jean 
Paul  exclaims: 

"  The  first  sin  on  earth, — haply  the  devil  was 
guilty  of  it  on  the  tree  of  knowledge, — was  a  lie; 
and  the  last  will  surely  be  a  lie,  too." 

He  draws  our  attention  to  the  contempt  which 
every  nation  has  for  a  lie:  "The  Greeks,  who  suf- 
fered their  gods  to  commit  as  many  crimes  with 
impunity  as  their  present  representatives,  the  gods 
of  the  earth  do,  yet  condemn  them  for  perjury, — 
that  root  and  quintessence  of  a  lie, — to  pass  a  year 
of  lifelessness  under  the  ground  in  Tartarus,  and 
then  to  endure  nine  years  of  torments.    The  ancient 


CHILD    MORALITY  219 

Persian  taught  his  child  nothing  in  the  whole  circle 
of  morality  but  truthfulness.  The  German  tourna- 
ments were  closed  to  the  liar  as  well  as  to  the 
murderer.  And  the  English  know  of  no  more  abus- 
ive epithet  than  liar." 

Even  Jean  Paul,  who  perhaps  loved  and  under- 
stood children  as  well  as  any  one,  does  not  expect 
great  things  of  them  in  the  matter  of  truthfulness, 
but  calls  that  virtue  the  "  blossom  of  man's  strength 
of  character,"  and  reproaches  us  that  we  require  of 
*'  a  child  whom  you  have  to  educate,  the  last  and 
noblest  fruits  of  truth!  " 

"  The  more  free  the  education,"  he  writes,  "  the 
more  truthful  the  child.  All  truth-loving  ages  and 
nations,  from  the  German  to  the  British,  have  been 
free;  lying  China  is  a  prison." 

This  law,  like  most  laws,  is  universal;  it  applies 
equally  to  nations  and  to  children.  The  more 
liberal  the  education  of  a  child,  the  more  likely  is 
he  to  be  frank,  ingenuous,  truthful.  And,  verily. 
ordered  freedom  is,  as  we  have  before  pleaded,  best 
for  the  cultivation  of  all  virtues. 

I  trust  that  it  will  be  understood  that  I  am  by  no 
means  defending  lying  in  children;  I  am  only  try- 
ing to  have  it  understood  that  even  as  bad  a  thing 
as  lying  is,  we  need  not  take  too  seriously  to  heart 


220       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

the  experimenting  with  it  by  young  children.  In 
some  children,  other  elements  in  the  character  seem 
to  come  into  conflict  with  their  love  of  truth,  and 
make  it  necessary  for  them  to  need  to  play  with 
lying  a  little  while  and  discover  for  themselves  that, 
in  spite  of  its  attractiveness,  in  the  end  it  bites. 
We  older  ones  do  not  always  promptly  recognise  his 
Satanic  majesty,  he  has  so  many  ways  of  making 
himself  fascinating! 

Although  we  have  gone  far  afield  to  hunt  down 
that  sin  of  lying,  and  get  at  the  true  nature  of  it, 
we  must  not  forget  that  the  aim  of  this  chapter  was 
to  inspire  ourselves  with  faith  in  children's  own 
natural  untaught  morality;  and  to  fortify  ourselves 
with  faith  to  believe  that  our  part  in  their  moral 
education  should  be  largely,  from  the  very  outset, 
to  do  honour  to  child-nature,  which  is  naturally  self- 
impelled  toward  moral  uprightness  and  brotherly 
love.  Our  highest  duty  toward  children  is  to  recall 
them  to  their  true  nature  when  they  are  unfaithful 
to  it;  to  discover  to  them  the  vast  chasm  which  lies 
between  liberty  and  license,  and  thus  to  lead  them 
to  trust  the  law  that  is  within  them  that  they  may  be 
worthy  to  be  Free. 

I  have  observed  again  that  if  self-direction, — 
that  is,  government  from  inward  motive  rather  than 


CHILD    MORALITY  221 

from  outside  authority, — is  secured  when  the  child 
first  begins  to  feel  conscious  of  his  powers — from 
six  to  sixteen  months  of  age,  we  will  say, — then  it  is 
comparatively  easy  to  keep  the  course  of  his  develop- 
ment running  smoothly.  It  is  a  fine  thing  to  get 
one's  hand  on  the  helm  of  one's  own  destiny  at  the 
very  start  in  life!  Too  many  lives  are  like  a  fine, 
full-rigged  ship,  careering  along  without  ballast, 
and  with  no  steady  hand  at  the  wheel. 

"  Now,"  once  said  a  lady  to  me  of  her  ten-year-old 
child,  "  it  is  time  that  I  took  her  religious  training 
in  hand."  Ah,  my  dear  lady,  your  best  opportunity 
passed  ten  years  ago.  You  may  now  put  the  child 
through  the  Catechism,  and  later  bring  her  up  in 
snow  white  for  Confirmation,  but  bless  you!  the  on- 
rush of  moral  (in  this  case  we  feared  unmoral)  life, 
of  spiritual  (or  unspiritual)  thought,  has  already 
acquired  headway.  You  may  be  able  to  guide  it 
somewhat;  I  should  surely  take  my  courage  in  my 
hands  and  try  it  if  the  charge  were  mine,  but  oh,  the 
divineness  of  the  task  had  it  been  undertaken  nine  or 
ten,  or  better  still,  eleven  years  ago! 

/"  We  should  not  need  to  prate  of  "  winning  the 
confidence  of  our  boys  and  girls."  It  is  given  to  us 
at  birth;  why  need  we  ever  lose  it?     We  may  keep 

[   it  by  becoming  as  one  of  them: 


222       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

"  Leave  all  thy  pedant  lore  apart; 
God  hid  the  whole  world  in  thy  heart. 
Love  shuns  the  sage,  the  child  it  crowns, 
Gives  all  to  them  who  all  renounce." 

While  we  are  in  the  company  of  our  children  we 
must  teach  ourselves  to  live  with  them;  thus  shall  we 
be  a  blessing  to  each  other,  they  to  us  as  much  as  we  to 
them,  Eemembering  that  "  Conscious  law  is  King 
of  kings,"  it  is  ever  ours  to  gradually  make  con- 
scious to  our  children  the  harmony  of  the  laws 
which  bountiful  Nature  has  placed  within  them  as 
their  birthright  gift;  then  lead  them  to  feel,  uncon- 
sciously it  may  be,  but  all  the  more  truly  on  that 
account: 

"  My  angel, — his  name  is  Freedom, — 
Choose  him  to  be  your  king; 
He  shall  cut  pathways  east  and  west 
And  fend  you  with  his  wing." 

And,  finally,  pray  to  be  always  reverential  in  the 
presence  of  children;  trust  them  actually,  as  in  theory 
we  trust  their  nature;  make  each  child  feel  himself  a 
free  son  of  God  and  of  Eternity.  So  shall  we  "  give 
to  the  child  a  heaven  with  a  pole-star,  which  may  ever 
guide  him  in  whatsoever  new  countries  he  may  after- 
wards enter." 


XII 

PRACTICAL  MORALS 

"  Not  the  cry,  but  the  rising  of  the  wild  duck,  impels  the 
flock  to  follow  him  in  upward  flight."— Jean  Paul  Richter. 

Possessing  the  high  faith  in  children's  natural 
rectitude  which  I  have  already  expressed,  it  has  ever 
been  exceedingly  difficult  for  me  to  formulate  schemes 
or  methods  for  their  moral  and  spiritual  instruction. 
Of  one  thing  we  may  be  certain, — that  the  thing 
absolutely  first  in  importance  is  that  they  shall  always 
be  met  by  those  whom  they  regard  as  "  their  own," 
in  entire  sincerity  and  on  a  high  plane.  "  Morals  " 
and  "  religion  "  should  be  their  native  atmosphere, 
should  permeate  everything,  and  be  breathed  by  them 
naturally  and  as  a  matter  of  course.  And  yet  I  know 
that  some  instruction  in  these  things  is  beneficial  to 
children  of  all  ages,  even  as  it  is  beneficial  to  instruct 
them  upon  the  necessity  of  pure  air  for  their  lungs. 
Unconscious  virtue  is  the  finest  flavoured  virtue;  yet 
virtue  which  feels  and  loves  and  obeys  the  laws 
which  underlie  right  behaviour  cannot  fail  to  mould 

223 


224  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

a  firmer  character  than  virtue  relying  wholly  upon 
instinct. 

It  is  excellent — it  is  necessary  to  our  highest  cul- 
ture— that  we  not  only  have  the  use  and  enjoyment 
of  our  knowledge,  but  also  that  we  shall  be  familiar 
with  the  science  of  it,  and  moral  and  spiritual  laws 
are  but  the  science  of  true  thought  and  life.  But 
the  science  of  anything,  from  the  very  nature  of  it, 
comes  after  the  knowledge  of  that  thing.  Science 
is  systematised  and  recorded  knowledge,  and  there- 
fore presupposes  the  knowledge.  If  this  is  the  cor- 
rect view  of  the  case,  children  should  be  allowed  to 
come  upon  all  knowledge  in  a  natural  and  accumula- 
tive way,  until  they  get  so  much  of  it  in  any  one 
direction  that  it  will  be  a  pleasure  to  see  it  organ- 
ised,— to  organise  it  one's  self;  to  begin  gradually  to 
see  a  beautiful,  harmonious  whole  in  what  seemed 
before  but  isolated  facts  and  laws.  I  have  never, 
however,  been  able  to  discover  that  the  knowledge 
of  facts  of  truth,  or  of  behaviour,  ought  to  be  come 
upon  through  the  science  of  them.  Grammar  and 
many  other  things,  geometry  being  quite  especially 
in  my  mind,  have  lost  their  position  among  the 
"harmonies,"  for  some  of  the  best  minds,  by  dis- 
regarding this  law;  the  law  that  accumulation 
should   precede   systematising,    and   not   be   accom- 


PRACTICAL   MORALS  225 

panied  by  it.  Wide  and  comprehensive  knowledge 
of  anything  is  of  infinitely  greater  value  than  the 
organisation  of  that  knowledge  afterwards  indulged 
in  by  the  scientific  mind.  A  familiarity  with  flowers 
and  their  habits,  gained  through  love  of  them  and 
companionship  with  them,  is  a  thing  far  beyond 
the  mere  knowledge  of  Botany.  The  art  of  speak- 
ing and  writing  pure  English,  gained  through  gentle 
breeding  and  every-day  companionship  with  culti- 
vated people  and  good  writers,  is  something  of  a 
higher  order  than  a  knowledge  of  Grammar  and 
Rhetoric.  The  science  of  Botany  is,  indeed,  a  fine 
thing, — for  "  the  mind  that  loves  it ";  so  also  is  a 
knowledge  of  the  structural  laws  of  language;  but 
it  distresses  me  to  see  children  and  youth  forced  to 
come  at  things  theory-end  first;  to  hear  them  con- 
jugating verbs  in  our  own  or  a  foreign  tongue  before 
they  can  speak  correctly.  Here,  in  the  country, 
there  is  a  bright  ambitious  youth  about  the  place, 
who  regards  himself  as  a  fair  scholar  in  his  little 
world,  who  I  am  certain  could  conjugate  glibly: 

Singular.  Plural. 

I  am  We  are 

thou  art  you  are 

he  is  they  are 

Now  if  he  had  formulated  that  conjugation,  as  he 


226       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PAKEXTS 

should  have  been  made  to  do^  from  his  own  use  of 
the  verb;,  he  would  have  been  obliged  to  recite  it: 

Singular.  Plural. 

I  be  We  be 

you  be  you  be 

he  is  '"  they  be 

which  I  verily  believe  would  have  so  astonished  him 
that  he  would  forever  afterwards  have  felt  that 
there  is  some  connection  between  the  science  of  our 
language  and  the  speaking  of  it,  which  seems  now 
to  be  an  idea  that  has  not  yet  dawned  upon  him. 
Indeed,  the  youth  said  to  me  frankly:  "  Grammar 
don't  have  nothing  to  do  with  my  talking;  I  talk 
just  as  I'm  a  mind  to." 

Concerning  the  teaching  of  morals  and  the  de- 
velopment of  character  and  right  behaviour,  I  find 
myself  reasoning  in  the  same  way.  Morality,  even 
spirituality,  grown  into  through  a  natural  adjusting 
and  attuning  to  others  in  a  moral  and  spiritual  en- 
vironment, is  quite  beyond  a  character  attained  with 
much  accompaniment  of  set  teaching.  Conscious 
virtue  is  apt  to  be  Pharisaic.  We  do  not  need  a 
code  of  morals  for  children.  The  daily  beholding 
of  never-failing  pity  for  the  suffering,  delight  in 
others'  happiness,  and  indignation  at  cruelty  and 
injustice,  will  lead  children  to  "  Rejoice  with  those 


PRACTICAL   MORALS  227 

that  do  rejoice  and  weep  with  those  that  weep,"  far 
more  effectively,  if  there  is  not  too  much  wording  of 
the  situation.  Moreover,  the  mind,  later  on,  will 
be  found  in  fresher,  more  impressionable  condition, 
— not  perhaps  to  be  taught  moral  and  spiritual  laws, 
but  to  search  tentatively  for  them.  All  dealings 
with  children  should,  from  the  outset,  be  on  a  taken- 
for-granted  basis  that  there  is  in  them  a  natural 
responsiveness  to  everything  good,  and  of  repulsion 
to  all  that  is  evil.  What  Miss  Sullivan  writes  of  her 
deaf-blind  pupil,  Helen  Keller,  may  with  profit  be 
regarded  as  what  would  be  true  of  every  normal 
child: 

"  Surrounded  by  loving  friends  and  the  gentlest 
influences,  as  Helen  had  always  been,  she  has,  from 
the  earliest  stages  of  her  intellectual  enlightenment, 
willingly  done  right.  She  knows  with  unerring 
instinct  what  is  right  and  does  it  joyously.  She 
does  not  think  of  one  wrong  act  as  harmless,  as 
another  of  no  consequence,  and  of  another  as  not 
intended.  To  her  pure  soul  all  evil  is  equally  un- 
lovely." 

Later  on  Miss  Sullivan  writes  with  confidence: 
"  I  believe  every  child  has  hidden  away  somewhere 
in  his  being,  noble  capacities  which  may  be  quick- 
ened and  developed  if  we  go  about  it  in  the  right 


228       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

way;  but  we  shall  never  properly  develop  the  higher 
natures  of  our  little  ones  while  we  continue  to  till 
their  minds  with  the  so-called  rudiments.  Mathe- 
matics will  never  make  them  loving,  nor  will  the 
accurate  knowledge  of  the  size  and  shape  of  the 
world  help  them  to  appreciate  its  beauties.  .  .  .  Chil- 
dren will  educate  themselves  under  right  conditions. 
They  require  guidance  and  sympathy  far  more  than 
instruction." 

I  always  feel  too  much  reverence  for  childhood, 
too  much  dread  of  interfering  with  Nature's  inten- 
tion with  them,  to  quite  do  my  whole  duty  by  them. 
I  like  to  let  the  beautiful  creatures  alone;  to  let 
them  follow  their  own  leading  and  chase  after  their 
own  ideals;  to  learn  from  them  rather  than  to  teach 
them.  Yet  for  all  that,  I  get  the  greatest  pleasure 
and  profit  from  reading  the  inspiring  things  which 
have  been  written  upon  the  subject  of  moral  and 
religious  education  of  the  young.  In  fact,  I  depend 
upon  the  reading  of  such  things  to  keep  myself  in 
a  right  attitude  toward  children;  but  write  them 
I  cannot,  although  I  did  do  a  little  of  it  when  I  was 
younger,  and  felt  somewhat  less  fear  of  rushing  in 
where  angels  fear  to  tread.  In  spite  of  the  ideal- 
isation of  childhood,  I  have  had  ample  experience 
with  children  to  know,  as  all  parents  know,  what  a 


PRACTICAL   MORALS  229 

disturbance  and  what  care  they  often  are.  I  know 
well,  too,  that  we  cannot  leave  children  to  their  own 
sweet  will  and  call  it  education.  We  must  somehow 
in  our  weakness  and  imperfection,  manage  to 
possess  ourselves  of  what  wisdom,  and  patience,  and 
courage  we  may,  to  meet  and  cope  with  the  head- 
strong energy,  the  passions,  the  self-centred  activi- 
ties, of  our  children;  to  reward,  punish,  impel,  or 
restrain,  guide  or  leave  free,  as  occasion  requires  or 
our  feeble  wisdom  dictates. 

I  am  attempting  no  full  discussion  of  the  teach- 
ing of  morals;  I  am  undertaking  only  to  present  a 
few  fragmentary  thoughts  on  one  or  two  sides  of  the 
question  which  have  never  been  emphasised  quite 
to  my  liking.  Let  us  first  consider  together  for  a 
little  concerning  punishments.  The  word  has  a 
harsh,  unloving  sound;  it  grates  on  the  ear;  it 
savours  of  revenge,  of  "  paying  out,"  and  children 
too  often  so  regard  it.  Penalty  is  a  more  fitting 
word,  but  that,  too,  is  a  hard,  relentless  one;  still  it 
carries  with  it  more  the  idea  of  justice,  a  penalty 
being  somewhat  of  the  nature  of  a  consequence  of 
the  wrong-doing.  Jean  Paul  likes  to  call  it  "  after- 
smart."  There  are  many  theories  in  vogue  concern- 
ing punishment.  Childhood,  for  many  centuries,  was 
made  a  veritable  hell  in  consequence  of  religious 


230  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

^  faith  in  the  divine  efficacy  of  it.  The  case  of  Mar- 
tin Luther's  twenty-three  corporal  punishments  in 
one  day  is  not  an  isolated  one  in  history.  We  know 
better  now  than  to  regard  them  as  the  only  cure- 
all  for  the  trip-ups  of  faltering  childhood.  We 
know  now  that  punishments  should  be  few.  Ideally 
there  should  be  none.  But  we  are  not  ideal  and 
the  god  of  punishment  must  have  his  altar.  But 
since  they  must  be,  the  feeling  so  common  among 
educators,  that  that  is  a  wise  one  which  is  a  con- 
sequence of  the  wrong  committed  is,  indeed,  a 
reasonable  feeling,  and  is  a  theory  to  be  carefully 
reckoned  with  by  Pedagogues  and  Parents.  I  can- 
not, however,  refrain  from  having  a  wee  bit  tilt 
with  its  champions  concerning  the  lengths  to  which 
they  push  the  principle.  For  instance,  Spencer,  in 
his  zeal,  quotes  the  proverb  "  A  burnt  child  dreads 
the  fire,"  and  suggests  that  it  is  often  well  even  to 
allow  the  child  to  get  burned  a  little  in  order  to 
learn  the  power  of  fire  and  be  cured  of  playing  with 
it.  I  have  known  of  several  cases  in  which  his 
followers  have  adopted  this  suggestion  with  a 
thoroughness  positively  so  cruel  as  wholly  to  deprive 
it  of  any  of  its  supposed  naturalness.  A  burnt 
child  will  doubtless  dread  the  fire, — somewhat. 
But  it's  rather  a  characterless  one  that  will  give  up 


PRACTICAL   MORALS  231 

the  acquaintance  of  so  beautiful  a  friend  as  Fire, 
just  because  that  same  Fire  got  the  better  of  it  for 
once.  It  is  far  more  "  natural "  for  the  child  to 
go  back  to  the  fire  and  "  be  more  careful  next 
time." 

We  tried  that  Spencerian  method  with  our  first 
child;  we  were  trusting  then,  and  theoretic.  Our 
baby  put  out  her  little  hand  continually  toward  the 
"  pitty  light  "  of  the  candle.  We  said  "  no  no,"  for 
a  proper  period,  then  we  looked  sorrowful  and 
allowed  the  child  to  put  her  poor  little  finger  into 
the  blaze.  Tears  came  and  the  little  mouth 
puckered;  ours,  too.  After  a  long  look,  the  ex- 
perience was  repeated;  then  again  and  again  until 
in  sheer  pity  we  put  an  end  to  the  experiment. 
That  child  always  loved  fire  and  fire-poking.  And 
she  had  her  fill  of  it  all  through  her  childhood. 
We  used  to  have  famous  times  with  her,  and  with 
the  others  after  they  came,  finding  out  which  things 
would  "burn  pretty."  "Would  I  burn  pretty?" 
she  asked  as  she  caressingly  stroked  her  soft  skin 
before  the  fire  after  her  bath.  At  seven  she  came 
near  getting  an  answer  to  that  question;  she  had 
been  carelessly  left  alone  for  a  moment  in  the  room 
with  a  year  and  a  half  old  brother.  The  little  one 
got  hold  of  a  fly-whisk,  somehow  got  it  into  the 


232  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

open  fire,  and  was  brandishing  it  wildly  about  the 
room.  We  heard  a  scream,  and  rnshing  to  the 
rescue,  found  the  girl  skilfully  jamming  the  fiery 
torch  into  the  grate,  meanwhile  calling  lustily  for 
help;  a  valiant  illustration  of  "  skinning  right  along 
and  praying  as  you  go."  The  point  is,  that  the 
next  day,  in  spite  of  the  fright  and  the  singeing,  she 
was  just  as  much  at  home  with  her  old  friend,  Fire. 
Nor  were  we  surprised;  vigorous  children  do  not 
abandon  a  good  thing  b.ecause  it  has  a  spice  of  dan- 
ger in  it,  else  whence  have  come  our  Lincolns,  our 
Deweys,  and  our  Nansens? 

We  ought  to  be  sure  that  a  punishment  is  really 
natural,  and  not  artificially  natural,  before  we  pro- 
ceed with  too  certain  a  hand.  Even  the  revered 
Abbott,  prophet  of  the  naturalness  of  Gentle  Meas- 
ures with  Children,  seems  to  me  to  have  too  much 
faith  in  these  artificially  ''  natural  methods."  The 
following  is  an  instance,  which  I  quote  verbatim 
from  that  deservedly  popular  educational  classic: 

MARY'S  WALK 

"Mary,"  said  Mary's  aunt,  Jane,  who  had  come 
to  make  a  visit  to  Mary's  mother  in  the  country, 
"  I  am  going  to  the  village  this  afternoon,  and  if 
you  would  like  you  may  go  with  me." 


PRACTICAL   MORALS  233 

Mary  was,  of  course,  much  pleased  with  this  in- 
vitation. 

"  A  part  of  the  way,"  continued  her  aunt,  "  is  by 
a  path  across  the  fields.  While  we  are  there  you 
must  keep  in  the  path  all  the  time,  for  it  rained  a 
little  this  morning,  and  I  am  afraid  that  the  grass 
may  not  be  quite  dry." 

"  Yes,  Aunt  Jane;  I'll  keep  in  the  path,"  said 
Mary. 

So  they  set  out  on  the  walk  together.  When 
they  came  to  the  gate  which  led  to  the  path  across 
the  fields,  Aunt  Jane  said,  "  Eemember,  Mary,  you 
must  keep  in  the  path." 

Mary  said  nothing  but  ran  forward.  Pretty  soon 
she  began  to  walk  a  little  on  the  margin  of 
the  grass,  and,  before  long,  observing  a  place 
where  the  grass  was  short  and  where  the  sun 
shone,  she  ran  out  boldly  upon  it,  and  then,  look- 
ing down  at  her  shoes,  she  observed  that  they 
were  not  wet.  She  held  up  one  of  her  feet 
to  her  aunt  as  she  came  opposite  to  the  place, 
saying: 

"  See,  aunt,  the  grass  is  not  wet  at  all." 

"  I  see  it  is  not,"  said  her  aunt.  "  I  thought  it 
would  not  be  wet;  though  I  was  not  sure  but  what 
it  might  be.     But  come,"  she  added,  holding  out  her 


234       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

hand,  "  I  have  concluded  not  to  go  to  the  village, 
after  all.     We  are  going  back  home." 

"  Oh,  Aunt  Jane!  "  said  Mary,  following  her  aunt 
as  she  began  retracing  her  steps  along  the  path, 
"what  is  that  for?" 

"  I  have  altered  my  mind,"  said  her  aunt. 

"  What  makes  you  alter  your  mind?  " 

By  this  time  Aunt  Jane  had  taken  hold  of  Mary's 
hand,  and  they  were  walking  together  along  the 
path  towards  home. 

"  Because  you  don't  obey  me,"  she  said. 

"  Why,  auntie,"  said  Mary,  "  the  grass  was  not 
wet  at  all  where  I  went." 

"  No,"  said  her  aunt,  "  it  was  perfectly  dry." 

"  And  it  did  not  do  any  harm  at  all  for  me  to 
walk  upon  it,"  said  Mary. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  harm,"  said  her  aunt. 

"  Then  why  are  you  going  home?  "  asked  Mary. 

"  Because  you  don't  obey  me,"  replied  her  aunt. 

As  I  cannot  see  that  anything  is  more  natural  for 
a  burnt  child  than  to  be  more  careful  next  time, 
neither  can  I  see  anything  in  this  little  girl's 
punishment  but  pure  unnaturalness.  Theoretically 
the  child  ought  to  have  reasoned:  "We  lost  a 
pleasant  walk  and  I  displeased  my  dear  auntie  just 


PRACTICAL   MORALS  235 

because  I  was  disobedient.  I  will  never  be  dis- 
obedient again."  But  nine  out  of  ten  youngsters, 
and  they  would  be  the  brightest  ones,  would  reason 
more  after  this  fashion:  "Isn't  Auntie  funny? 
Just  for  a  little  thing  like  this!  Anyway,  I  don't 
care!  She  got  the  worst  of  it!  /  wouldn't  give 
up  anything  I  wanted  to  do  for  such  a  little  thing. 
The  grass  wasn't  wet,  an}'way! "  And  then  she 
would  go  picnicking,  perhaps,  and  reflect  how  lucky 
she  was  not  to  have  lost  the  fun  of  the  picnic  just 
for  a  little  walk  to  the  village! 

As  for  "  natural  consequences,"  is  it  not  a  most 
natural  consequence  that  parents'  love  should  shield 
their  children  from  results  of  their  frailty?  And 
no  one  is  quicker  to  discern  this  and  reckon  upon 
it  than  the  shrewd  little  youngsters  themselves. 
So  when  we  make  them  take  consequences  which 
would  without  our  intervention  be  natural  ones, 
they  are  likely  to  reason,  and  it  is  natural  enough 
that  they  should :  "  Anyway,  they  might  have  let 
us  off;  they  could  have  if  they'd  wanted  to;  they're 
real  mean."  Many  a  child  has  been  alienated  from 
parents  on  these  lines.  What  are  parents  for  if 
not  to  shield  children  from  too  heavy  suffering  from 
their  weakness  and  helplessness?  It  is  natural  that 
love  should  overtop  everything,  and  none  so  keen 


236  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

to  discern  it  as  children.  However,  we  have  not 
overmuch  to  fear  perhaps  on  that  score.  If  your 
boy  disobeys  you,  plays  with  his  gun  and  wounds 
himself,  he  is  exactly  as  sure  of  your  sympathy  and 
tender  care  as  though  the  wound  had  been  the  result 
of  some  accident  on  the  way  to  Sunday  School. 
Roger  Ascham,  the  famous  schoolmaster  of  Queen 
Elizabeth's  time,  writes  in  liis  famous  book: 

"  Learning  teacheth  more  in  one  year  than  ex- 
perience in  twenty;  and  learning  teacheth  safely 
when  experience  maketh  more  miserable  than  wise. 
He  hazardeth  sore  that  waxes  wise  by  experience. 
An  unhappy  master  is  he  that  is  made  cunning  by 
many  shipwrecks;  a  miserable  merchant  is  he  that  is 
neither  rich  nor  wise  but  after  some  bankrupts.  It 
is  costly  wisdom  that  is  bought  by  experience;  we 
know  by  experience  itself  that  it  is  marvellous  pain 
to  find  out  a  short  way  by  long  wanderings." 

Experience  is  indeed  an  unkind  teacher.  That  is 
why  we  say  so  often  to  our  children,  "  Let  your 
head  save  your  heels  ";  and  fortunate  is  he  who 
has  the  wit  to  do  it.  Our  children,  even  with  our 
most  loving  solicitude,  will  be  sufficiently  forced  to 
feel  the  rod  of  experience.  Let  us  not  fear  where  it  is 
possible,  to  take  short  cuts  with  children  in  morals  as 
in  arithmetic.     We  had  a  neighbour  once  who  had 


PRACTICAL   MORALS  '^37 

three  sons.  He  had  begun  life  at  the  bottom  and 
gained  riches.  After  he  had  given  his  boys  an 
indulged  childhood  and  allowed  them  as  much 
education  as  they  would  take,  he  had  but  one  maxim 
for  them:  "  Now  begin  at  the  bottom  as  I  did.  The 
only  way  is  to  begin  at  the  bottom  and  work  up." 
In  spite  of  his  passionate  love  for  them  he  dis- 
couraged and  alienated  every  one  of  them.  Noth- 
ing could  make  him  see  that  what  necessity  had 
made  true  discipline  for  himself,  became,  without 
that  necessity,  an  unkindness,  arbitrarily  imposed; 
and  that  by  "  learning,"  his  sons  might  start  many 
steps  up  the  ladder  and  in  congenial  company. 
Children  should  perceive  love  and  interest  in  their 
welfare  illuminating  every  relation  between  them 
and  their  parents  and  their  teachers;  and  love 
shields  and  protects.  For  this  reason  punishment 
should  be  administered  only  as  a  last  resort;  it  is,  in- 
deed, a  mute  confession  of  failure  somewhat  back  on 
the  line,  which  failure  must  now  be  righted.  But 
when  it  must  actually  be  resorted  to,  as  it  too  often 
must,  it  is  wise  to  have  it  as  far  as  possible,  self- 
curing  on  the  part  of  the  small  sinner. 

Two  quite  small  boys  began  going  to  school  at  the 
same  time.  They  both  immediately  took  up  the 
dismaying  habit  of  swearing.^    One  of  the  mothers 


238  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

promptly  whipped  her  boy  at  every  offence  till  she, 
at  least,  heard  no  more  of  it;  the  other  one  per- 
suaded and  discussed  with  her  boy  about  the  matter 
and  was  puzzled  that  she  could  make  not  a  bit  of 
impression  upon  him.  At  last  she  exclaimed  in 
dead  earnest: 

"  Now  see  here,  young  man,  this  must  be  stopped. 
Who  is  to  stop  it,  you  or  I?  Tell  me  why  it  is  that 
you  think  you  must  swear  like  a  little  pirate." 

"  Well,"  replied  the  child  in  equal  dead  earnest, 
"I  think  I'm  big  enough  to  swear;  and  I'm  big 
enough  to  smoke,  too;  and  I'm  going  to  save  up  my 
money  to  buy  me  some  cigarettes,  and  I  mean  to 
practice  running  till  I  can  run  faster  than  any  boy 
of  my  age! " 

He  meant  to  attain  rapidly  to  the  honours  of  big- 
boyhood!  And  now  the  mother  saw  in  it  only  mis- 
conceived ambition;  her  task  became  a  simple  one. 
She  had  him  name  over  all  the  men  of  his  acquaint- 
ance that  he  considered  "  first-rate "  men;  his 
father,  his  uncle  this  and  uncle  that,  and  the 
friend  who  had  lately  beatified  him  by  giving  him 
a  "  regular  man's  foot-ball ";  and  not  one  of  them 
had  he  ever  heard  swear!  Almost  laughingly  she 
made  him  see  how  he  had  chosen  the  wrong  sort 
for  his  ideals.     He  listened  thoughtfully  when  she 


PRACTICAL   MORALS  239 

explained  to  him  that  now  that  he  was  going  out 
into  the  world  to  be  a  "big  boy," he  would  meet  both 
sorts,  but  that  he  would  want  to  line  up  with  the 
best.  The  boy's  self-respect  was  retained,  which  was 
a  great  triumph,  for  self-respect  is  a  mighty  element 
in  the  making  up  of  character.  He  who  respects 
himself  will  be  respected.  To  respect  one's  self  so 
much  that  he  will  not,  nay  cannot,  soil  himself  by 
wrong-doing  is  the  highest  attainment  of  manhood. 
Cultivate  as  a  precious  plant,  the  self-respect  of  chil- 
dren; the  tendency  of  arbitrary  punishment  is  to 
destroy  it. 

Is  it  not  wise,  too,  to  govern  children  by  motives 
which  shall  be  permanent?  motives  which  shall  go 
right  on  serving  in  youth  and  manhood,  when  motives 
of  fear  can  have  no  more  power?  It  has  often  been 
observed  that  children  who  have  been  governed  too 
much  by  fear  and  by  punishments  are  far  more  apt  to 
have  a  season  of  sowing  wild  oats,  than  are  those  who 
are  led  to  be  self-governing. 

"Vices,  the  common  vices  of  the  people,"  writes 
Condorcet,  "  come  from  the  need  of  escaping  ennui 
in  moments  of  leisure,  and  in  escaping  from  it 
through  sensations  and  not  ideas."  Give  children, 
then,  full  resources  for  enjoyment  and  usefulness. 
Give  them  ideas.     In   short,   give   them  a  liberal 


240  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

education.  Give  them  a  true  education  that  shall 
cultivate  all  the  faculties  and  powers;  fill  them  with 
high  ideals;  make  them  self-resourceful  in  the  con- 
sciousness of  power,  and  able  to  discover  oppor- 
tunities for  exercising  that  power.  And  above  all, 
lead  them  to  the  highest  summit  of  self-control. 
For  our  encouragement  we  may  remember  that 
every  virtue,  mental  and  moral  as  well  as  physical, 
contributes  to  beauty  and  poise.  John  Euskin 
mournfully  calls  attention  to  the  "  otherwise  beauti- 
ful faces  of  women,"  spoiled  by  lack  of  intellectual- 
ity— argument,  by  the  way,  for  the  higher  education 
of  women. 

This  influencing,  rather  than  directly  teaching, 
may  seem  more  the  function  of  the  parent  than  of 
the  teacher.  Not  so.  It  is  the  chief  function  of 
both.  When  a  little  friend  of  mine,  good  in  all 
his  lessons,  but  spelling,  was  kept  in  despair  on 
account  of  not  getting  a  decent  mark  in  anything 
because  the  teacher  counted  the  spelling  in  every- 
thing and  he  "  couldn't  spell,"  I  believe  that  child  got 
far  more  moral  harm  in  the  sense  of  injustice  done 
him,  than  he  got  of  benefit  in  spelling,  if  indeed,  he 
got  any,  which  is  doubtful.  How  much  higher  was 
the  course  taken  by  one  of  the  teachers  of  my 
childhood's  days.    There  was  a  girl  in  our  class  who. 


PRACTICAL   MORALS  241 

conscientiously  and  long  as  she  might  study,  always 
got  a  third  or  a  half  of  her  words  wrong.  She  was, 
like  Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  one  of  those  whom  we 
meet  occasionally,  who  have  a  genius  for  wrong  spell- 
ing! At  last  the  teacher  discussed  the  matter  with 
the  class,  and  explained  to  them  that  the  girl's  rank 
was  no  just  estimate  of  her  scholarship.  In  the  end, 
on  a  motion  of  one  of  the  boys,  it  was  voted  that 
this  particular  girl's  mistakes  in  spelling  were  to  be 
divided  by  four,  and  her  mark  in  spelling  to  be 
reckoned  according  to  the  result.  Now  see  what  a 
host  of  charming  little  virtues  was  cultivated  in  that 
one  small  act;  generosity,  chivalry,  kindness,  grati- 
tude, justice,  and  an  honourable  and  affectionate  class- 
spirit.  But  that  teacher  was  ever  a  magician  among 
teachers!  I  get  it  strongly  into  my  head  that  with- 
out justice  in  these  small  matters,  it  is  almost  useless 
for  a  teacher  to  preach  little  preachments  on  justice 
and  truthfulness,  when  children's  sense  of  justice  is 
violated  by  their  being  marked  low,  for  instance,  in 
arithmetic,  although  everything  is  correct,  just  be- 
cause they  haven't  spelled  "  answer "  correctly,  or 
because  they  haven't  "  done  it  the  right  way,"  or 
remembered  to  arrange  it  as  they  were  told. 

An  incident  of  my  own  school  life  illustrates  this 
point.     Years  have  passed,  yet  the  thrill  of  it  is  upon 


242  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

me  as  I  revert  to  it.  Fresh  from  the  Boston  Gram- 
mar School,  I  was  on  my  way  to  examination  for 
entrance  into  the  long  anticipated  High  School. 
The  only  fear  I  had  was  for  my  oral  arithmetic. 
Of  the  written  I  felt  sure.  The  ponderings  under 
my  jacket  as  I  trudged  resentfully  along  were  of 
this  rebellious  sort:  "  Outrageous  mean!  I  can  get 
their  old  answers  in  a  minute,  but  I'll  never  be  able 
to  say  those  old  explanations!  "  and  so  on,  and  so 
forth,  all  the  way.  To  my  delight  and  surprise  I 
was  ushered  alone  with  the  examiner  into  the  ex- 
amining room  and  told  to  "just  give  the  answer"! 
Could  anything  be  finer?  I  grew  three  inches  on 
the  spot.  But  to  this  day  it  seems  to  me  too 
pathetic  that  notions  of  school  justice  should  have 
been  of  such  a  character  that  that  simple  act  of 
pure  fairness  could  produce  in  me  a  sense  of  grati- 
tude that  has  lasted  all  these  years.  Besides  the 
injustice  of  things  of  this  sort,  which  prevail  far 
too  much  in  the  schools,  and  even  in  the  homes, 
there  is  in  it  a  discouragement  often  beyond  the 
childish  powers  of  resistance.  Encouragement  is 
the  very  thrill  of  life;  we  need  it  ourselves;  how 
much  more  the  children.  Life  is  a  dead,  dead  thing 
for  any  of  us  without  it.  Professor  James  writes  a 
good  word  on  this  subject: 


PRACTICAL   MORALS  243 

"  Let  no  youth  have  any  anxiety  about  the  upshot 
of  his  education.  If  he  keep  faithfully  busy  each 
hour  of  the  working  day  he  may  safely  leave  the 
final  result  to  itself.  He  can  with  perfect  certainty 
count  on  waking  up  some  fine  morning  to  find  him- 
self one  of  the  competent  ones  of  his  generation  in 
whatever  pursuit  he  may  have  singled  out.  Silently 
between  all  the  details  of  his  business,  the  power  of 
judging  in  all  that  class  of  matters  will  have  built 
itself  up  within  him,  as  a  possession  that  will  never 
pass  away.  Young  people  should  know  this  truth 
in  advance.  The  ignorance  of  it  has  probably  en- 
gendered more  discouragement  and  faint-hearted- 
ness  in  youths  embarking  on  arduous  careers  than  all 
other  causes  put  together." 

One  other  thought  and  this  long,  and  perhaps,  in- 
coherent chapter  shall  have  an  end.  It  is  upon  the 
subject  of  Reverence.  No  character  can  be  ideal 
without  the  fragrance  which  Reverence  gives  it. 
In  the  every-day  world  Reverence  takes  the  form  of 
a  natural  attitude  of  respect  toward  things  high  and 
true  and  real.  And  this  is  the  only  attitude  that 
children  should  ever  perceive  in  their  Pedagogues 
and  Parents.  Reverence  is  the  chief  source  of 
humility,  and  humility  is  the  one  virtue  which  makes 
possible  the  attainment  of  wisdom  and  knowledge. 


244  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

I  mean  reverence  for  all  things  worthy — the  Good, 
the  True  and  the  Beautiful,  and  especially  for  the 
great  Unknowable.  In  young  children  Eeverence  is 
as  natural  as  the  very  breath  of  life.  A  little  girl 
of  four  stood  by  the  window  in  her  nightdress  lo/)k- 
ing  out  for  a  moment  upon  the  big  dark  world  be- 
fore going  to  bed.  She  Avaved  her  tiny  hand  to 
include  all  the  lights  of  the  small  settlement  spread 
out  before  her,  and  exclaimed  softly,  "  Good-night, 
all  the  homes! "  I  cannot  reason  you  out  the  logic 
of  it,  but  I  am  certain  that  that  act  was  the  very 
essence  of  love  and  reverence  for  humanity, — the 
wisdom  revealed  unto  babes.  It  is  the  height  and 
depth  of  educational  art  to  retain  through  the 
whole  of  life,  this  child-like  simplicity  of  goodness, 
and  of  love  for  our  fellow-l^eings.  The  character  of 
unspoiled  children  has  an  undercurrent  of  ideality 
which  we  may  ever  envy  them.  Let  their  frailties 
"  be  mentioned  softly  and  gained  upon  by  time," 
while  we  devote  ourselves  to  the  cultivation  of  this 
ideality  by  keeping  them,  as  far  as  we  can,  in  a 
current  of  high  thoughts  and  worthy  deeds,  even  as 
the  channel  of  a  stream,  if  kept  clear,  will  by  its  own 
force,  rid  itself  of  debris  as  it  broadens  and  deepens 
on  its  journey  to  the  sea. 

Let  us  live  in  good  comradeship  with  our  children. 


PRACTICAL   MORALS  245 

The  parental  function  is  one  of  the  highest  if  not 
absolutely  the  highest,  pertaining  to  manhood  and 
womanhood,  and  should  not  be  "entered  into 
lightly  or  unadvisedly,"  but  with  the  utmost 
reverence.  If  we  wish  sincerity  in  our  children  we 
must  ever  be  sincere;  if  we  wish  frankness  and  truth 
and  accuracy,  they  must  never  see  in  ourselves  any 
swerving  from  these;  if  we  wish  for  them  courtesy 
and  politeness  which  are  real,  they  must  receive 
these  at  our  hands.  When  parents  feel  all  this, 
and  are  of  intelligent,  liberal,  generous  spirit,  they 
seldom  go  far  astray  with  their  children. 

It  is  not  that  parents  need  to  be  perfect.  Im- 
patience, forgetfulness,  the  half-thousand  frailties 
common  to  weak  mortals,  children  pass  over  lightly, 
loving  and  respecting  us  none  the  less.  They  form, 
indeed,  a  common  bond  between  us  and  them.  But 
one  little  false  note,  one  shilly-shallying  with  the 
right,  one  ever  so  little  hesitancy  when  duty  is  plain, 
one  injustice  unatoned, — ah!  there's  the  rub!  We 
must  be  utterly  incapable  of  these  things.  Nor  is 
that  expecting  too  much  of  ourselves. 


XIII 

THE  CHILDREN  THEMSELVES 

"  What,  then,  are  children  really  ?  Their  constant  pres- 
ence and  their  often  disturbing  wants  conceal  from  us  the 
charms  of  these  angelic  forms,  which  we  do  not  know  how  to 
name  with  sufficient  beauty  and  tenderness, — blossoms,  dew- 
drops,  stars,  butterflies, — but  when  you  kiss  and  love  them, 
you  give  and  feel  all  their  names  !  A  single  child  upon  the 
earth  would  seem  to  us  a  wonderful  angel,  come  from  some 
distant  home,  who,  unaccustomed  to  our  strange  language, 
manners,  and  air,  looked  at  us  speechless  and  inquisitive,  but 
pure  as  Rafael's  infant  Jesus.  .  .  .  And  daily  from  the  un- 
known world  these  pure  beings  are  sent  to  the  wild  earth;  and 
sometimes  they  light  on  slave  coasts,  or  battle-fields,  or  in 
prison  for  execution,  and  sometimes  in  flowery  valleys  and  on 
lofty  mountains;  sometimes  in  a  most  baleful,  sometimes  in  a 
most  holy  age;  and  after  the  loss  of  their  only  father  they  seek 
an  adopted  one  here  below.  "—Jean  Paul  Frikdrich  Richter. 

"  The  child  is  doubtless  an  embryo  angel,  but  no  less  cer- 
tainly a  possible  devil." — Elizabeth  P.  Peabody, 

"  Who  can  declare  for  what  high  cause 
This  darling  of  the  gods  was  born?  " 

"  Some  children  are  born  into  this  world  with  tickets  bought 
and  baggage  checked  on  an  express  train  for  Hell." 

Maevellous,  and  marvellously  eloquent  and  forci- 
ble, are  the  thoughts  which  have  been  thought  and 

246 


THE   CHILDREN   THEMSELVES  247 

the  words  which  have  been  written  concerning  child- 
hood and  children.  But  whatever  else  we  of  to-day 
may  think  of  childhood,  let  us  never  be  tempted  to 
believe  that  by  inheritance,  by  Nature's  limitation 
of  their  possibilities,  or  lack  of  this  limitation, 
children  are  destined  at  birth  to  become  "  darlings 
of  the  gods,"  or  are  doomed  to  perdition.  We  may, 
perhaps,  believe,  that  in  point  of  talent  or  genius, 
the  limit  of  a  human  being's  possible  attainment  is 
already,  by  inheritance,  defined  at  birth.  But  can 
we,  without  violence  to  the  very  highest  thought  of 
the  divine  scheme  of  things,  believe  in  the  foreor- 
dination  of  moral  character  for  any  normal  human 
being?  "  Foreordination  of  evil!"  It  should  be  a 
phrase  not  in  the  educational  vocabulary!  In 
humiliation  and  honesty  we  should  hold  ourselves 
responsible  for  the  whole  of  what  we  have  in  mind 
when  we  use  that  accusing  phrase!  We  may  be 
sure  that  it  was  distress  at  the  sight  about  him  of 
"  fine  souls  wrecked  by  mal-education,"  which  led 
Wordsworth  to  write  that  sad  story  of  two  of 
them  in  his  "  Euth."  Youth  begins  in  the  glory 
which  is  native  to  it: 

"  With  hues  of  genius  on  his  cheek, 
In  finest  tones  the  youth  could  speak 
.    .    .    while  he  was  yet  a  boy." 


248       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

By  lack  of  love  and  tenderness  and  pure  environ- 
ment 

"  His  genius  and  his  moral  frame 
Were  thus  impaired  and  he  became 
The  slave  of  low  desires." 

The  whole  story  of  many  lives  about  us  is  in  these 
two  stanzas.  Time  must,  and  surely  will,  do  away 
with  the  pitiless  environment  into  which  so  many 
children  are  horn,  and  so  soon  get  to  be  almost  past 
redemption.  Am  I  my  brother's  keeper?  I  surely 
am!  Yet  it  is  too  probable  that  our  present  inter- 
pretation of  Christianity  will,  for  some  time  to 
come,  continue  to  leave  adult  human  beings  free  to 
finish  out  their  fortunes  for  good  or  ill,  as  they 
choose  to  or  are  able.  But  as  to  Childhood!  We 
are  at  least,  the  keepers  of  Humanity's  children! 
Every  infant  born  into  this  world  is  the  ward  of 
Humanity.  I  have  faith  to  believe  that  we-  are 
already  launched  in  a  current  of  solicitude  for  child- 
hood, which  is  bearing  us  swiftly  toward  a  state  of 
Christianity  whereby  we  shall  see  to  it,  as  a  matter 
of  decency  if  not  of  love,  that  every  child  shall  be 
given  a  hospitable  reception  when  it  arrives  on  this 
planet,  and  shall  be  tenderly  cared  for  and  guided 
during  its  helpless  years.  At  first  we  shall  do  it 
largely  from  an  economic  standpoint.     But  let  us. 


THE   CHILDREN   THEMSELVES  249 

for  the  credit  of  Humanity  and  of  Christianity,  do 
all  we  can  to  hasten  the  time  when  we  shall  do  it 
from  pure  Love.  We  are,  indeed,  on  the  eve  of  the 
first  stage,  and  are  beginning  to  believe  that, 
humanity  aside,  it  is  wise  to  spend  our  money  and 
what  brotherly  love  we  have^  in  preventing  the 
making  of  criminals,  rather  than  in  trying  to  cure 
them  after  we  have  allowed  them  to  be  made.  Many 
noble  men  and  women  are  to-day  devoting  them- 
selves to  the  children's  problems.  One  of  the  finest 
among  things  recently  accomplished  in  New  York 
and  some  other  cities,  is  the  establishment  of  a 
Children's  Court.  Delinquent  juveniles  are  no 
longer  summoned  before  the  same  judge,  in  the  same 
place  along  with  two  or  three  hundred  adults,  all 
awaiting  their  turn  together,  to  be  summarily  dis- 
posed of  as  drunkards,  thieves,  and  other  law- 
breakers. They  now  have  a  court  of  their  own, 
with  a  judge  of  their  own,  who  may,  and  who  does 
take  time  to  understand  each  case,  by  getting  him- 
self into  the  attitude  of  mind  of  the  young  culprit, 
and  finding  out  about  home  conditions  and  other 
environment.  Only  judges  are  chosen  for  these 
positions,  who  are  especially  interested  in  juvenile 
delinquents,  and  effort  is  made  as  far  as  is  possible, 
to  have  all  sentences  remedial  and  reformatory — 


260       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

even  as  would  be  done  by  a  wise  and  judicious 
parent.  If  all  the  world  could  be  brought  to  listen 
to  a  few  scores  of  the  pathetic  stories  of  these  little 
offenders,  as  related  by  the  sympathetic  judges,  the 
children's  case  would  be  won. 

Effort  is  being  made  to  have  these  children's 
courts  established  in  all  cities.  And  the  saddening 
part  of  it  is,  that  although  appeal  is  made  to  the 
humane  side  of  the  question,  yet,  in  order  to  in- 
fluence the  great  body  of  voters  and  tax-payers,  the 
business  side  of  it  must  be  brilliantly  shown  up, 
namely,  that,  independent  of  the  benevolent  side  of 
it,  it  pays.  It  pays,  inasmuch  as  we  of  the  United 
States  now  spend,  as  they  tell  us,  $500,000,000  per 
year  for  the  care  and  sequestration  of  criminals, 
and  therefore,  every  child  reclaimed  from  the 
criminal  class  is  a  saving  to  the  state!  It  is  good 
to  do  these  things  from  any  motive,  but  when  the 
love  of  Humanity  shall  be  so  great  that  Public 
Opinion  will  refuse,  at  any  price  whatsoever,  to 
endure  the  sight  of  one  little  child  uncared  for, 
then,  we  may  feel  that  we  are  in  truth  beginning  to 
have  right  foundational  ideas  of  Education — and  of 
religion. 

We  know  now  that  children  are  not  totally  de- 
praved, unregenerate  little  aliens  from  God,  to  be 


THE   CHILDREN   THEMSELVES  251 

redeemed  by  us;  no  more  are  they  blank  sheets  of 
paper  to  be  written  upon,  or  chiy  in  the  hands  of 
the  potter.  Each  one  of  them  is  a  bundle  of  possi- 
bilities of — we  know  not  what,  whose  rightful  birth- 
right is  an  environment  and  wise  guidance  which 
shall  enable  him  to  work  toward  the  attainment  of 
his  yet  undiscovered  possibilities. 

Children!  In  very  truth  what  are  they?  Jean 
Paul's  "  Delicate  flower-gods  of  a  soon  fading 
Eden,"  or  Fourier's  "devilkins"?  "Unruly  brats 
with  birch  to  tame,"  or  "  gems  that  glitter  while 
they  live"? 

They  laugh,  they  weep,  they  love,  they  hate;  they 
fib,  they  pilfer;  "  they  are  mirrors  of  ingenuous 
truth  ";  they  are  soft  and  gentle,  they  are  fiery  little 
furies;  they  are  our  delight,  our  despair.  What- 
ever else  they  are,  they  are  energy  and  activity 
rampant,  and — they  are  ours.  Ours  it  is  to  provide 
for  them;  to  conduct  them  forward  (if  it  be  not 
backward)  out  of  their  charming  realm  into  our 
work-a-day  world.  How  shall  we  meet  the  merry, 
careless,  lawless,  irrepressible,  irresponsible  brigade  of 
little  possibilities?  Had  we  not  better  haste  and 
form  ourselves  into  a  protective  union? 

But  seriously,  and  to  be  "  practical  "!  First  of  all 
we  must  expect  every  normal  child  to  be  a  personi- 


252       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

fication  of  activity.  Xo  normal  child  is  ever  idle; 
he  is  either  playing  or  working,  thinking  or  eating, 
or  sleeping,  or  resting;  and  that  last  occupation  of 
resting  is  usually  as  far  from  idleness  as  any  of  the 
others.     Of  these  "  silences  "  Carlyle  writes: 

"  In  them  great  things  fashion  themselves  to- 
gether, that  they  may  at  length  emerge  full  formed 
and  majestic,  into  the  daylight  of  life." 

What  form  shall  this  perpetual  activity  be  helped 
to  take?  A  vigorous  child  of  nine  once  gave  un- 
conscious answer  to  the  question,  when  she  ex- 
claimed, with  flashing  eye  and  lust}^  emphasis,  "  I 
think  children  ought  to  play;  they  hate  to  work." 

I  have  often  wondered  if,  provided  all  did  it  so 
that  there  were  no  shame  to  any,  it  wouldn't  be  the 
best  possible  thing  for  children,  to  require  them  to 
do  nothing  but  play  until  they  were  a  dozen  or  four- 
teen years  old!  The  higher  the  species  the  longer 
its  childhood  and  coming  to  maturity!  Ours  it 
would  then  be  to  see  that  they  were  able  to  get  at 
what  they  needed  for  their  desires  and  schemes — to  be 
their  aiders  and  abettors.  In  fancy  we  can  see  the 
toy  forts  and  bridges,  wharves  and  houses  and  con- 
trivances of  all  sorts.  Of  course  we  should  read  to 
them,  theirs  to  dictate  how  much,  and  when  and 
even  what!  and  books  would  be  left  lying  about. 


THE   CHILDREN   THEMSELVES  253 

What  an  opportunity  for  the  free  development  of 
the  faculties! — which  is,  is  it  not?  the  gist  of  Educa- 
tion itself.  What  an  opportunity  for  the  free  dis- 
covering of  foundational  morals,  and  the  finding 
each  of  his  level  among  his  fellows!  One  wonders 
if  every  one  of  them  would  not  learn  to  read  and 
write  and  cipher,  and  get  all  sorts  of  book  learning, 
"  Just  for  fun,"  and  by  force  of  natural  ambition, 
even  to  fuller  success  than  now  they  do;  and  learn 
also  to  be  kindlier,  more  courteous  and  helpful. 
Again  and  again  I  have  wondered  and  questioned 
within  myself  whether  it  would  not  be  so,  so  surely 
does  assisted  freedom  more  than  coercion,  bring 
forth  things  of  beauty  and  strength!  Well,  we  shall 
not  know,  for  we  shall  not  have  faith  or  courage 
to  try  it. 

This,  however,  we  may  be  sure  of,  that  play  will 
always  be  at  its  maximum  in  the  first  years,  grow- 
ing less  and  less  as  age  advances,  and  that  work  will 
be  at  its  minimum,  growing  more  and  more  as  play 
grows  less;  work  and  play  being  about  evenly  divided 
somewhere  between  the  ages  of  twelve  and  sixteen. 
Our  fifteen-year-old  daughter  exclaims,  when  asked, 
"Sixteen!  not  a  bit  earlier!"  One  wonders  if 
children  wouldn't,  by  the  scheme  of  playing  out 
their  childhood  days,  come  into  their  life  work  with 


264       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

6uch  freshness  and  zest  and  enjoyment  that  it  would 
be  transformed  into  play,  and  life  be  all  play!  All 
best  play  is  large  part  work  and  all  best  work  should 
be  large  part  play,  play  being  defined  as  voluntarily 
chosen  activity.  So  we  come  to  the  new  gospel  of 
work,  taught  by  Buskin,  Morris  and  others. 

"  Play  is  the  first  and  only  occupation  of  our 
childhood,  and  remains  the  pleasantest  one  our 
whole  life  long.  To  toil  like  a  beast  of  burden  is 
the  sad  lot  of  the  lowest,  the  most  unfortunate  and 
the  most  numerous  class  of  mortals,  but  this  is 
contrary  to  the  intent  and  wish  of  Nature.  .  .  Take 
away  from  life  what  is  the  enforced  service  of  iron 
necessity,  and  what  is  all  that  is  left  but  play? 
Artists  play  with  Nature;  poets  with  their  imagina- 
tion; philosophers  with  their  ideas;  the  fair  sex  with 
our  hearts,  and  kings,  alas,  with  our  heads!  " 

Let  us  then,  young  and  old,  play  all  we  can. 
"  Being  a  child  must  not  hinder  becoming  a  man; 
becoming  a  man  must  not  hinder  being  a  child." 
Let  us  all  therefore  have  our  due  proportion  of 
play,  for  play  is  but  overabundance  of  life,  floAving 
into  the  form  of  voluntarily  chosen  activity. 

Have  not  the  conceit  to  believe  that  a  child  knows 
a  thing  because  you  have  told  it  to  him.  He  needs 
to  question  and  doubt  it,  to  examine  it  on  all  sides. 


THE   CHILDREN   THEMSELVES  255 

to  apply  it;  in  a  word,  to  play  with  it.  It  is  not 
his  very  own  knowledge  till  he  has  done  all  that  with 
it.  We  prate  of  "  need  of  discipline."  Is  it  not 
true  discipline  to  be  given  freedom  to  bring  all  the 
powers  into  play,  and  to  focus  them  on  the  getting 
dominion  over  the  earth?  That  is  the  "Big 
Thing"  children  love  to  do!  And  is  twelve,  or 
fourteen,  or  even  sixteen  years,  too  long  a  time  in 
which  to  play  with,  and  give  meaning  to,  all  the  new 
and  strange  and  wonderful  things  which  the  child 
comes  upon  when  he  enters  this  big  complex  world? 
I  suspect  that  it  is  not  what  we  with  our  artificially 
"  natural "  methods,  and  scientific  arrangements 
and  logical  orders,  give  to  children,  that  is  the  best 
part  of'tlieir  equipment  for  life.  Are  not  those  the 
best  things  which  they  have  discovered  for  them- 
selves, or  gotten  from  their  comrades? — provided 
we  have  not  generated  in  them  too  much  "  artificial 
stupidity,"  which  is  too  sadly  likely  to  be  the  case. 

"It  is  perfectly  certain  that  two  in  every  three 
children  are  irretrievably  damaged  or  hindered  in 
their  mental  or  moral  development  in  the  schools; 
but  I  am  not  sure  that  they  would  fare  better  if  they 
staid  at  home." 

If  I  quote  often  from  Chamberlain  and  Chamber- 
lain's quotations,  I  can  only  plead  as  did  the  western 


256  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

school-teacher  concerning  Shakespeare:  "He  ex- 
presses my  sentiments  fine! " 

Youngsters  need  to  roam  over  the  whole  field  of 
knowledge  from  the  very  start,  and  come  up  to  their 
limit  in  all  directions  before  they  are  content  to 
settle  down  seriously  to  the  business  of  detailed 
inquiry,  and  hard  plodding  after  "  knowledge." 
This  seems  to  be  the  way  Human  Race  did  it.  We 
Parents  cannot  be  psychologists;  in  spite  of  the 
clear  definition  in  the  Introduction  of  this  book, 
we  cannot  wholly  comprehend  "  Culture  Epochs  " 
either  in  the  race  or  in  the  child.  We  wonder  if 
Pedagogues  do.  Yet  we  can  in  a  general  way,  per- 
ceive the  thing  mistily,  and  even  get  help  and 
encouragement  from  it.  We  do,  in  our  wide  ex- 
perience with  children,  discover  and  appreciate 
many  things  about  them  which  we  call  common 
sense,  and  sometimes  they  seem  to  us  to  be  almost 
the  same  things  which  the  child-studiers  call  "  re- 
capitulation." And  science  and  common  sense 
ought  to  have  contact  and  agreement  somewhere, 
else  one  or  both  of  them  is  unsound. 

The  matter-of-fact  and  continual  observation  of 
parents  leads  us  to  notice  a  good  deal  concerning 
these  various  stages  in  a  child's  life  which  the  child- 
studiers  call   "  Culture  Epochs."     We  observe  our 


THE   CHILDREN   THEMSELVES  257 

children  closely  from  birth;  we  go  into  the  nursery 
and  put  pencils  into  two-day-old  fingers  and  marvel, 
as  Darwin  did,  that  a  tiny  infant  will  hang  there- 
upon for  a  marvellous  number  of  seconds;  only,  not 
being  accurate  scientists  like  Darwin,  we  don't 
write  it  down;  that  is,  the  wisest  of  us  don't;  we 
don't  dare  to  trust  ourselves,  albeit  we  do  sometimes 
have  the  fever  to  record,  as  he  recorded.  Once 
upon  a  time,  we  and  another  pair  of  Parents, 
planned  to  do  it  together  and  compare  notes,  but  we 
got  discouraged.  At  three  months  the  parents  of 
the  other  baby  recorded  it  as  having  "  cried  to  go  to 
ride."  Our  baby  had  cried,  but  we  couldn't  feel 
sure  whether  it  had  cried  to  go  to  ride  or  not;  we 
presumed  it  had;  we  didn't  know  anything  to  the 
contrary  and  hoped  that  our  baby  was  up  to  the 
other  baby,  but  we  got  puzzled.  We  felt  more 
fully  than  we  ever  had  before,  an  appreciation  of 
Max  Miiller's  attitude  on  this  subject: 

"  The  observers  of  babies,"  he  writes  in  his 
autobiography,  "  mostly  young  fathers,  proud  of 
their  first  offspring,  remind  me  always  of  a  very 
learned  friend  of  mine  who  presented  to  the  Royal 
Society  most  laborious  pages  containing  his  life-long 
observation  on  certain  deviations  of  the  magnetic 
needle,  and  who  had  forgotten  that  in  making  these 


268  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

observations,  he  always  had  a  pair  of  steel  spectacles 
on  his  nose." 

But,  as  I  said  before,  we  Parents  have  in  our  way 
done  a  good  deal  of  observing,  and  most  of  us  I 
think,  have  noticed  several  things. 

I.  That  it  is  most  excellent  for  children  to  have 
a  big  supply  of  things  to  do  with,  and  plenty  of  time 
for  free  play. 

II.  That  the  later  they  get  into  harness  and 
have  the  reins  pulled  taut  over  them,  the  better. 

III.  That  it  is  absolutely  criminal  to  overdrive 
them,  since  it  hurts  them,  not  temporarily  but,  as  it 
would  a  young  colt,  for  life. 

IV.  That  reasoning,  even  when  they  seem  to 
follow  it,  affects  them,  either  mentally  or  morally, 
about  as  much  as  rain  affects  a  house  when  it  falls 
on  the  properly  shingled  roof  of  it,  they  being 
creatures  of  instinct  and  emotion,  not  of  reason. 

V.  That  a  child  really  does  pass  through  stages, 

somewhat  as  the  Race  did,  and  that  we  should  not 

allow  ourselves  to  be  so  hard-headed  as  to  force 

him  to  reason  out  mathematics  at  an  age  when  it 

seems 

"  As  if  his  whole  vocation 
Were  endless  imitation," 

and  then  set  him  to  learning  foreign  languages  when 


THE   CHILDREN   THEMSELVES  259 

this  age  is  over  and  the  reasoning  faculty  is  fiercely 
at  work  in  him,  but  that  we  should  let  him  do  all 
things  according  to  the  law  of  nature. 

VI.  That,  morally,  they  stand  stubbornly  still 
when  club-driven,  but  go  gaily  on  when  led  with 
banners  flying. 

All  these  things  we  think  we  are  fairly  sure  of, 
and  of  some  others  besides.  But  these  will  suffice 
for  the  present.  Concerning  III,  the  early  pushing 
and  heavy  pressure  brought  to  bear  on  school- 
children, too  strong  warning  cannot  be  uttered,  nor 
be  too  often  reiterated.  Many  parents  complain 
bitterly  of  the  home  work  of  the  younger  children, 
and  wails  everywhere  go  up  on  account  of  the  high- 
pressure  system  of  the  High  Schools.  A  High- 
School  girl  told  me  the  other  day  that  in  her  class 
they  were  required  to  commit  to  memory  every 
Latin  lesson  entire,  consisting  of  a  page  or  more  of 
Caesar,  and  this  five  times  a  week,  in  addition,  of 
course,  to  exacting  demands  from  the  teachers  of 
the  other  studies.  Every  word  that  Mr.  Harris 
writes  on  the  subject  of  education  is  so  sound  and  so 
wise  that  it  makes  us  wish  that  he  would  take  us 
Parents  in  hand,  and  write  us  a  book  on  our  duties 
and  privileges,  and  would  write  it  so  simply,  so 
"popularly,"  that  we  could  have  it  for  a  sort  of 


260       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

educational  Bible,  to  be  picked  up  and  enjoyed  at 
all  hours  of  the  day,  between  the  homely  tasks  of 
our  busy  lives.  On  this  subject  he  writes:  "  It  is  a 
matter  of  every-day  comment  that  much  memoris- 
ing deadens  the  power  of  thought.  But  it  is  equally 
true  that  memory  may  paralyse  the  power  of  sense- 
perception,  imagination,  and  will." 

When  remonstrated  with  for  permitting  too  high 
pressure  being  put  upon  their  children,  parents  have 
but  one  reply:  "  What  can  we  do?  "  When  I  urged 
upon  one  young  girl  who  was  rapidly  breaking 
down,  "  Health  is  of  far  more  worth  than  learn- 
ing," she  replied:  "  You  Tiave  to  study  if  you 
go  to  that  school."  She  was  unable  to  finish  the 
year. 

There  have  always  been  wise  ones  in  every  age 
and  generation  to  sound  the  danger-call  concerning 
this  thing. 

"  If  the  higher  faculties,"  writes  Spencer,  "  are 
early  taxed  by  presenting  an  order  of  knowledge 
more  complex  and  abstract  than  can  be  readily 
assimilated;  or  if,  by  excess  of  culture,  the  intellect 
in  general  is  developed  to  a  degree  beyond  that 
which  is  natural  to  the  age;  the  abnormal  result  so 
produced  will  inevitably  be  accompanied  by  some 
equivalent  or  more  than  equivalent  evil." 


THE   CHILDREN   THEMSELVES  261 

And  again  he  writes: 

"  We  contend,  then,  that  this  over-education  is 
vicious  in  every  way;  vicious  as  giving  knowledge 
that  will  soon  be  forgotten,  vicious  as  producing  a 
disgust  for  knowledge,  vicious  as  neglecting  that 
organisation  of  knowledge  which  is  more  important 
than  its  acquisition;  vicious  as  weakening  or 
destroying  that  energy  without  which  a  trained 
intellect  is  useless;  vicious  as  entailing  that  ill 
health  for  which  even  success  would  not  com- 
pensate, and  which  makes  failure  doubly  bit- 
ter." 

Huxley  writes  of  those  who  are  too  much  forced 
in  early  life: 

"  Like  early  risers  they  are  conceited  all  the  fore- 
noon of  life  and  stupid  all  its  afternoon.  The 
vigour  and  freshness  which  should  have  been  stored 
up  for  the  purposes  of  the  hard  struggle  for  exist- 
ence in  practical  life,  have  been  washed  out  of  them 
by  precocious  mental  debauchery,  by  book-gluttony, 
and  lesson-bibbing;  their  faculties  worn  out  by  the 
strain  put  upon  their  callow  brains,  and  they  are 
demoralised  by  worthless,  childish  triumph  before 
the  real  work  of  life  begins.  The  power  of  work 
which  makes  many  a  successful  man  what  he  is, 
must  often  be  placed  to  the  credit,  not  of  his  hours 


262  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

of  industry,  but  to  that  of  his  hours  of  idleness  in 
boyhood." 

One  more  from  among  the  multitude  of  them; 
this  from  the  long-ago  Plutarch: 

"  For,  as  plants  by  moderate  watering  are  nour- 
ished, but  with  overmuch  moisture  are  glutted,  so 
is  the  spirit  improved  by  moderate  labours,  but  over- 
whelmed by  excesses." 

The  disregard  of  these  natural  phenomena  of 
childhood;  the  getting  too  early  into  harness;  the 
overdriving;  the  taxing  of  incipient  reason;  the 
hammering  at  cold  iron  instead  of  waiting  till 
Nature  heats  it  for  us  at  the  proper  period;  all 
these  things  dispel  the  effervescence  arising  from 
the  pleasure  of  acquiring  knowledge,  disperse  the 
"  visions  splendid  "  of  youth,  and  rob  life's  halo  of 
its  rightful  brightness.  The  children  submit,  even 
with  half  content,  for  the  unthinking  little  things  are 
unconscious  of  their  birthright  and  their  loss  of  it. 

"  Men  have  always  reverenced  prodigious  inborn 
talents,  and  always  will,"  says  President  Eliot.  I 
believe  that  Nature  has  been  more  prodigal  of  them 
than  we  realise.  But  they  are  often  delicate  and  are 
overborne,  or  are  set  to  grow  on  too  stony  ground. 
They  are  not  given  freedom  enough.  Did  you  ever 
go  to  a  maple  "  sugaring  off  "?     I  went  to  one  a  long 


THE    CHILDREN    THEMSELVES  263 

time  ago  when  the  operation  was  cruder,  but  more 
picturesque  than  now.  Out  in  the  grove  they  built 
their  big  fire  and  hung  their  kettle  over  it.  How  the 
sap  seethed  and  boiled  in  it  in  endeavour  to  escape 
its  bounds!  A  watcher  was  by,  and  whenever  the  sap 
threatened  to  boil  over  he  tossed  in  a  piece  of  ...  I 
think  it  was  salt  pork!  Down  instantly  went  all 
that  enthusiasm.  Over  and  over  again  it  happened; 
it  depressed  me;  why  could  they  not  have  the  pot  big 
enough?  It  was  senseless  of  me,  sentimental!  But 
even  to  this  day  when  I  recall  the  scene,  the  thought 
of  it  gives  me  the  same  sense  of  regret.  Why  could 
they  not  have  had  the  pot  big  enough? 

It  is  exactly  like  that,  that  the  enthusiasm,  the 
surging  bubbling  life  of  children  is  suppressed  in  the 
schools.  I  sometimes  think  we  need  not  look  farther 
than  this  for  answer  to  the  questions,  "What  be- 
comes of  all  the  bright  children?  "  "  Why  do  we  not 
in  manhood  and  womanliood,  fulfil  the  high  promise 
of  childhood?  "  "  We  are  born  under  a  law;  it  is  our 
wisdom  to  find  it  out  and  our  safety  to  comply  with 
it."  But  surely  that  law  cannot  be  to  cripple  in 
order  to  control!  To  keep  down  natural  activity  in 
order  to  save  ourselves  the  care  of  directing  it  into 
proper  channels,  even  as  animal-trainers  starve  their 
animals  in  order  to  subdue  them. 


264 >  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

What  then?  We  meant  to  have  this  chapter  a  very 
"  practical "  one,  and  here  we  are  once  more  in 
Utopia,  with  our  chapter  of  sufficient  length.  We 
meant  to  have  had  our  say-so  on  the  various  sins  of 
childhood,  quarrelsomeness,  impertinence,  ill  temper, 
etc.  But  many  have  discoursed  wisely  upon  these 
subjects,  and  we  will  leave  the  children  right  here 
upon  Utopian  soil,  for  which  my  reader  will  long  ago 
have  discovered  I  have  a  strong  liking.  Well,  who 
doesn't?     But  children,  especially,  are  safe  there. 

In  conclusion,  let  us  then,  bring  children  forward 
as  best  we  may  with  the  minimum  of  punishment, 
leading,  inciting,  enticing,  beguiling,  encouraging, 
and  sometimes  coercing.  If  we  find  the  task  too  ideal 
for  our  unideal,  undivine  capabilities,  let  us  all  the 
same,  go  cheerfully  forward.  Not  one  of  us  is  perfect; 
so  can  our  ways  not  be.  But  face  always  toward  the 
Mecca.  Read  unstintingly,  observe  continually,  and 
ponder  all  these  things  in  your  heart.  Have  patience 
and  charity  infinite,  pressing  onward  trustfully, 
hopefully,  not  foreboding  evil;  for  have  we  not  all  the 
forces  of  the  universe  with  us  in  this  divinest  of 
tasks,  that  of  conducting  children  out  of  childhood 
into  the  full  stature  of  the  Sonship  of  God? 


XIV 

PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

"  A  body  of  cultivated  men,  devoted  with  their  whole  hearts 
to  the  improvement  of  education,  and  to  the  most  effectual 
training  of  the  young,  would  work  a  fundamental  revolution 
in  society." — William  Ellery  Channing. 

"The  future  of  American  civilisation  and  the  rich  blessings 
of  republican  institutions  will  be  assured  if  we  can  interest  the 
best  talent  of  the  country  in  education,  and  evolve  a  school 
system  which  shall  be  as  nicely  adjusted  to  our  national  re- 
quirements as  the  German  system  is  to  German  needs." — 
James  E.  Russell. 

Theke  is  a  pedagogic  "body  of  cultivated  men, 
devoted  with  their  whole  hearts  to  the  improvement 
of  education ";  the  best  pedagogic  "  talent  of  the 
country  "  is  interested  in  education.  But  the  trum- 
pet-call is  now  to  all  of  us,  to  the  Parent  as  well 
as  the  Pedagogue.  Wisdom  parental  and  wisdom 
pedagogic  are  complemental;  they  should  be  joined  in 
marriage  never  to  be  put  asunder.  The  iteration  and 
reiteration  of  this  sentiment  must  be  pardoned  in  the 
light  of  the  fact  that  it  is  the  one  central  and  insist- 
ent thought  around  which  this  entire  book  is  written. 

Home  and  school  work  independently  of  each 
265 


266       TEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

other,  impelling  the  child,  as  may  chance,  in  the 
same,  or  in  opposite  direction.  In  the  entire  history 
of  education,  we  search  in  vain  for  any  impress  of  the 
parental  hand.  The  role  of  the  parent,  in  the  long 
past,  has  been  wholly  one  of  trustfulness,  of  def- 
erence, almost  of  reverence,  toward  learning  and  all 
institutions  of  learning.  Such  relationship  has 
doubtless  been  necessary  in  the  past.  It  is  no  longer 
necessary;  yet  to-day  it  is  the  same.  No  honoured 
goal  is  recognised  toward  which  home  and  school 
mutually  trend.  In  justice  it  must  be  admitted  that 
Pedagogues  do  always  have  high  ideals  for  which 
they  work  with  earnestness  and  zeal.  But  it  is  only 
the  occasional  parent  who  recognises  the  ideals  of  the 
school,  or  who  has  for  his  own  children,  ideals  of  any 
sort  toward  which  he  strives  consistently, — unless, 
indeed,  it  be  money-getting.  The  well-being  of  our 
children  is  the  chief  interest  of  us  all;  but  we  trust 
the  routine  of  things.  We  hold  ourselves  too  much 
in  the  attitude  taken  by  the  English  ministry  at  the 
time  when  "  Chinese  "  Gordon  was  left  to  his  fate: 
"  They  threw  the  puzzle  into  the  air,"  writes  Hake, 
Gordon's  resentful  biographer,  "  and  hoped  to  see  its 
pieces  come  down  in  proper  order,  all  accurately 
fitted  together  into  an  allegorical  picture  of  economy, 
happiness,  and  universal  suffrage." 


PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS       267 

As  a  body,  Parents  are  in  that  same  comfortable 
frame  of  mind  with  regard  to  the  education  of  their 
children.  The}'  reason: — "We  pay  heavy  taxes  for 
the  schools;  we  expect  the  schools  to  take  good  care 
of  the  education  of  our  children.  We  give  them  into 
the  care  of  the  schools  exactly  as  we  turn  them  over  to 
the  doctor  when  they  are  sick."  But  we  should  not 
do  that  thing.  There  cannot  be  a  body  of  educa- 
tional experts  as  there  can  be  of  medical  experts. 
Physicians  may,  in  session  assembled,  and  in  actual 
presence  of  the  human  skeleton,  learn  all  there  is  to 
know  about  the  bones  of  the  human  body;  the  dissect- 
ing room  may  furnish  knowledge  for  the  doctoring 
of  us  all,  nabob  and  beggar  alike.  But  who  may 
dissect  a  human  soul  ?  "  Where,"  asks  a  French 
writer,  "  can  you  apply  a  thermometer  to  test  the 
temperature  of  a  soul  ?  "  Pedagogues  are  not  educa- 
tional experts;  neither  are  Parents;  it  requires  both 
to  do  educational  work. 

Mr.  Pellatt,  a  schoolmaster  of  England,  writes 
truly,  "  Thories  upon  education  have  an  absorbing 
fascination  for  all  schoolmasters  possessed  of  the 
true  teaching  instinct."  Pedagogic  thought  and 
feeling  and  judgment  are,  indeed,  largely  the  out- 
come of  strong,  intellectual,  reasoned-out  theory. 
Parental  thought  and  feeling  and  judgment  are  the 


268  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

outcome  of  experience,  interpreted  by  Nature's 
strongest  motive  forces,  parental  instinct  and  love. 
Pedagogic  zeal  fits  children  to  its  schemes;  parental 
instinct  fits  its  schemes  to  the  children.  The  one 
without  the  other  is  as  the  strenuous  day  without  the 
restful  night;  as  the  work-a-day  world  below,  with- 
out the  serene  heavens  above;  is  as  the  father  without 
the  mother;  useless  each  without  the  other.  The 
home  and  the  school  should  be  the  two  halves  of  a 
harmonious  educational  whole. 

Of  the  story  of  his  own  education  President 
Dwight  writes: 

"  If  there  is  any  suggestion  which  it  offers  it  is,  I 
think,  that  of  the  importance  of  family  life  in  giving 
the  impulse  to  intellectual  growth." 

All  through  that  most  interesting  series  of  How  I 
was  Educated  papers,  as  in  most  autobiographies, 
this  idea  is  of  constant  recurrence.  "  Have  the  right 
father  and  mother."  And  liberal-minded  parents  of 
to-day  are  beginning  to  rouse  themselves  to  a  feeling 
of  this  responsibility;  to  feel  a  personal  interest  and 
concern  in  the  education  of  their  children.  The 
number  is  every  day  increasing  of  John  Locke's 
parents  "  whose  concern  for  their  dear  little  ones 
makes  them  so  irregularly  bold  that  they  dare  venture 
to  consult  their  own  reason  in  the  education  of  their 


PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS       269 

children,  rather  than  wholly  to  rely  upon  Old 
Custom."  But  the  institution  of  the  Public  School 
is  a  thing  of  dismaying  size  and  momentum.  It  has 
not  yet  occurred  to  Parents,  even  when  discontented, 
to  interfere  with  the  workings  of  it,  or  to  take  their 
rightful  attitude  toward  it.  Of  the  dissatisfied  ones, 
those  who  are  able  take  their  children  from  the 
Public  Schools  and  place  them — wherever  best  suits 
their  ideas;  the  rest  criticise,  or  grieve,  or  complain, 
according  to  temperament,  and  chafe  under  their 
helplessness.  But  there  certainly  is  a  spirit  of  un- 
rest among  Parents  of  to-day.  They  are  patient, 
but  there  is  everywhere  discernible  a  spirit  of  ques- 
tioning; of  wonderment  as  to  whether  their  children 
are  receiving  the  individual  uplift  and  send-off  in 
life,  which  they  have  a  right  to  expect.  There  are 
mutterings,  some  of  them  loud  ones,  of  too  much 
pressure  in  the  High  Schools;  of  over-burdening 
home  work,  of  too  long  hours  of  close  confinement,  of 
too  much  book-work  with  not  enough  of  doing,  of  too 
little  attention  to  the  individual  pupil.  And  surely 
the  yoke  of  the  Public  School  is  not  easy  nor  its  bur- 
den light. 

Why,  however,  should  Parents  complain?  Com- 
plaint is  not  the  attitude  we  should  take.  The 
Public  School  is  an  institution  our  very  own;  its 


270  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

corps  of  instructors  are  our  paid  assistants.  They 
are  doing  magnificent  work,  but  thej^  are  working 
without  our  sympathy  or  cooperation  or  oversight. 
We  do  not  think  of  dealing  like  that  with  any  other 
paid-for  service  rendered  us.  A  wholly  pedagogic 
one-sidedness  in  our  school-service  is  the  natural  re- 
sult, and  nobody  is  at  fault  but  the  parents  them- 
selves. 

We  may  well  ask  ourselves,  "  Are  we,  even  the 
educated  among  us,  competent  to  enter  intelligently 
into  council  and  conference  with  our  highly-trained 
educators?  "     We  may  surely  answer  that  we  are  not. 
Parents  do  not  now  train  themselves  for  their  part. 
Let  us,  however,  once  perceive  the  duty  of  our  share 
in  the  responsibility,  and  it  will  be  far  otherwise  with 
us.     How  then  can  Parents  fit  themselves  for  intel- 
ligent, acceptable  cooperation  with  Pedagogues? 
f      To  begin  with,  some  study  of  the  simple,  underly- 
\    iiig  laws  and   principles   upon  which  character  is 
i^%     «r     formed  should  be  taught  as  a  part  of  the  finishing 
I    course  in  the  Education  of  every  young  man  and 
I    woman,  or  better  still,  should  permeate  the  entire 
^  course.     It  may  be  thought  that  we  are  already  doing 
that  in  placing  psychology  on  their  list   of  studies, 
but  that  is  doubtful;  at  all  events,  it  is  not  what  I 
mean;  I  mean  a  study  of  the  actual,  practical,  mani- 


PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS       271 

fest  principles  upon  which  character  has  been  built, 
as  exemplified  in  the  lives  of  successful  men  and 
women.  The  minds  of  youth  are  eagerly  competent 
to  understand  and  revere  these  laws,  if  concretely 
studied  and  comprehended.  Both  young  men  and 
young  women  could  be  led  to  read  with  intense  profit 
and  pleasure  such  things  as  the  above-mentioned 
How  I  was  Educated  papers,  so  full  of  human 
nature,  and  human  nature's  ambitions,  struggles,  and 
final  triiunphs.  The  first  chapters  of  biographies, 
especially  of  autobiographies,  are  fine,  instructive 
reading;  they  are  a  beguilement  to  the  finish,  and 
lead  to  that  most  illuminating  method  of  coming  at 
histor}'^  through  the  lives  of  men  who  have  been  the 
centres  of  momentous  epochs.  Do  not  select  just 
those  lives  which  seem  to  point  a  moral;  take  any 
which  have  been  successful,  from  the  soft  youth  of 
Ebers  to  the  strenuous,  early  life  of  Lincoln,  or  the 
forced  one  of  John  Stuart  Mill.  Have  these  lives 
discussed  and  compared  in  class.  In  studies  of 
"  applied  psychology  "  of  this  sort,  the  simpler  and 
more  evident  laws  of  life  and  progress  and  success 
would  loom  up  and  impress  themselves  upon  the 
minds  of  youth;  would  furnish  a  living  foundation 
for  the  future  study  of  psychology;  would  make 
young  people  more  considerate  of  childhood;  would 


272  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

tend  to  lay  a  good  foundation  for  character,  ambition, 
and  service,  and  of  parental  wisdom  for  later  needs. 
Such  currents  of  thought  once  set  in  motion,  gather 
momentum;  inculcated  in  school,  academy,  and  col- 
lege, they  would  make  almost  impossible  among 
young  parents  such  every-day  "  generation  of  artifi- 
cial stupidit}'^ "  and  criminality  as  one  continually 
comes  upon  as  the  following: 

"  What  makes  the  cars  go?  "  asked  a  child  ahead  of 
me  on  the  train.  The  mother  laughed  and  stopped 
talking  with  her  neighbour  long  enough  to  answer: 

"  The  engine." 

"What  makes  the  engine  go?" 

"  The  steam,  goosey." 

After  a  pause: 

"  What  makes  the  steam  make  the  engine  make  the 
ears  go?  " 

"  For  the  fun  of  it  afterwards!  "  laughed  the 
mother  with  a  staring  glance  at  the  boy  which  said 
too  plainly,  "  How  can  you  be  so  stupid?  " 

The  mother  was  a  well-dressed  intelligent-looking 
woman;  so  was  the  one  who  passed  under  my  window 
one  day  dragging  a  small  child  by  the  hand. 

"  What  are  them  things? "  asked  the  little  one 
pointing  to  a  team  of  oxen  going  by.  "  What  are 
them  things?  "     Over  and  over  at  intervals  of  about 


PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS  27i5 

thirty  seconds,  till  the  two  were  out  of  hearing,  and 
not  a  word  in  reply! 

And  how  many  parents  tell  lies  to  their  children 
all  through  their  impressible  years,  then  are  heart- 
broken that  their  children  take  turn-about  at  it  in 
later  years? 

"  Roger,  come  right  back  here  this  instant!  Snake 
down  there!  "  called  out  a  young  mother  neighbour  of 
mine  yesterday.  I  naturally  looked  out  to  see  what 
danger  my  little  friend  Roger  was  getting  into.  The 
two-year-old  adventurer  was  hesitating  before  his 
mother  called,  but  at  this  lie  I  was  revengefully  de- 
lighted to  see  him  start  cautiously  forward  with  neck 
outstretched: 

"  Snake!     Snake!    Want  see  snake!  " 

"  If  I  have  to  come  down  there  after  you  I  shall 
whip  you,"  came  from  the  disappointed  mother. 
But  the  child  continued  peering  around  after  the 
snake,  and  the  mother  came  down.  She  snatched 
him  up  in  her  arms  and  kissed  him  rapturously: 

"  Why  don't  you  come  when  mamma  calls  you, 
you  darling  little  idot?  " 

Two  lies  in  one  lesson,  for  this  child's  first  course 
in  mendacity! 

It  should  get  to  be  the  natural  and  regular  order 
of  things  to  be  rational  and  honest  with  children. 


274  PEDAGOGUES   AND    PARENTS 

even  as  it  is  fast  getting  to  be  the  order  of  things  to  be 
rational  and  humane  in  our  treatment  of  dumb 
animals. 

Again,  to  induce  this  close  understanding  between 
Pedagogues  and  Parents,  we  might  have  regular  mass 
meetings  for  addresses  and  discussion,  somewhat  like 
those  which  Pedagogues  now  have  among  themselves, 
but  with  both  sides  represented.  Do  you  fancy  that 
such  meetings  would  not  be  well  attended?  If  they 
were  rightly  arranged  and  if  they  were  made 
interesting,  I  feel  absolutely  certain  that  they  would 
be  enthusiastically  supported.  Little  as  it  may 
seem  so,  parents  have  the  education  of  their 
children  more  intensely  and  ambitiously  at  heart 
than  almost  any  other  interest  in  their  lives.  It  is 
only  because  this  strong  interest  has  no  proper 
outlet  of  expression  that  it  does  not  more  fully 
appear. 

Some  sort  of  Pedagogue  and  Parent  Paper,  too,  or 
magazine,  if  made  interesting ,  ought  to  win  for  itself 
such  a  place  that  it  would  be  the  magazine  or  paper 
oftenest  found  in  cultivated  homes.  Education 
should  be,  among  adults,  a  taken-for-granted  topic 
of  conversation.  Such  a  paper  or  magazine  would 
reveal  educational  ideals  to  Parents,  and  give  sugges- 
tions how  to  cooperate  in  attaining  them.     It  would 


PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS  275 

keep  Parents  in  the  current  of  educational  progress, 
give  educational  news,  and  lists  and  reviews  of  good 
books  to  be  read  by  pupils  of  the  various  grades,  and 
by  Parents;  it  would  help,  through  the  Parents,  to 
swerve  children  from  that  great,  destroying  stream  of 
sensational  reading. 

A  paper  of  this  sort,  in  connection  with  periodical 
mass  meetings  like  those  mentioned,  would  bring 
Parents  into  an  understanding  of,  and  cooperation 
with  the  ideals  and  aims  of  school  work,  of  which  they 
have  now  little  appreciation;  for  instance,  the  im- 
portance of  having  youth  acquire  power  and  right- 
eousness even  more  than  so-called  knowledge;  of 
governing  them,  not  by  fear  of  punishment,  but  by 
motives  that  may  serve  permanently  through  life;  of 
being  on  the  watch  to  make  early  discovery  of  in- 
dividual bent,  and  to  encourage  it; — and  of  a  hundred 
other  things. 

President  Eliot  writes: 

"  Let  us  remember  that  the  moral  elements  of  the 
New  Education  are  individual  choice  of  studies  and 
career  among  great,  new  varieties  of  studies  and 
careers,  early  responsibility  accompanying  this  free- 
dom of  choice,  love  of  truth,  now  that  truth  may  be 
directly  sought  through  rational  inquiry,  and  an 
omnipresent  sense  of  social  obligation." 


276  PEDAGOGUES   AND  PARENTS 

The  same  sentiment  comes  forth  from  the  pen  of 
President  Barnard: 

"  A  man's  education  must  be  mainly  his  own  work. 
He  may  be  helped  and  he  may  be  embarrassed  greatly 
by  his  environment,  but  neither  books  nor  teachers 
nor  apparatus  nor  other  surrounding  conditions  of 
any  kind,  will  be  of  any  avail  unless  he  himself 
furnish  the  energising  spirit  which  shall  put  them  to 
account.  A  mind  is  not  moulded  as  an  earthern  ves- 
sel is  fashioned  by  the  hand  of  a  potter.  It  moulds 
itself,  by  virtue  of  an  inherent  force  which  makes  for 
symmetry  or  deformity  according  to  the  direction 
given  to  it  by  consciousness  and  will." 

President  Bartlett  says  likewise: 

"  The  man  that  is  thoroughly  master  of  his  own 
powers  will  master  any  sphere  or  theme  to  which  he 
is  called." 

The  ring  of  these  ideals  is  a  new  one  in  this  genera- 
tion. Parents  should  educate  themselves  up  to  it, 
and  the  home  and  the  school  be  brought  into  the 
closest  cooperation  for  rousing  in  the  souls  of  the 
pupils  response  to  its  clarion  call.  And  this  coopera- 
tion is  of  far  more  moment  to  Parents  than  to  Peda- 
gogues. It  would  be  a  tremendous  influence  in  help- 
ing to  disarm  unsympathetic  criticism  of  the  schools; 
it  would  almost  surely  keep  school  matters  out  of  the 


PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS  277 

hands  of  politicians;  it  would  make  it  easy,  when 
necessary,  to  arouse  public  sentiment  in  favour  of 
needed  appropriations  for  the  schools.  More  im- 
portant than  any  of  these  things,  perhaps,  it  would 
result,  with  absolute  certainty,  that  Parents  would 
ultimately  find  themselves  on  Curricula  and  other 
committees,  which  decide  important  educational  ques- 
tions. There  are  many  of  these  important  questions 
being  settled  to-day.  We  should  not  shirk  the  re- 
sponsibility of  assisting  in  the  settling  of  them! 

G.  Stanley  Hall,  among  others,  writes  sadly  of  the 
increase  of  juvenile  criminality: 

"  Although  pedagogues  make  vast  claims  for  the 
moralising  effect  of  schooling,  I  cannot  find  a  single 
criminologist  who  is  satisfied  with  the  modern  school, 
while  most  bring  the  severest  indictments  against  it 
for  the  blind  and  ignorant  assumption  that  the  three 
R's,  or  any  merely  intellectual  training,  can 
moralise." 

No  idea  is  more  trustfully  ensconced  in  the  hearts 
of  parents  than  thVt  education  will  make  their  chil- 
dren "good."  They  have  a  right  to  feel  that  it  is 
60,  and,  as  I  have  before  said,  they  have  high  faith  in 
educators.  But  we  are  supinely  dreaming  when 
we  hold  teachers  responsible  for  the  virtue  and  moral 
strength  of  our  children.     Ideally,  the  highest  moral 


278       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

influence  must  ever  emanate  from  the  home,  tho 
school  in  full  alliance  with  us  at  every  turn.  The 
intellectual  centre  should  of  course  be  the  school, — 
Init  intelligently  reinforced  by  the  home.  Education 
should  be  one, — not  home  education  and  school 
education,  but  Education. 

We  had  in  Boston  a  summer  or  two  ago,  and  we 
have  it  somewhere  every  3'ear,  a  most  triumphant  and 
successful  Teachers'  Convention.  I  cannot  help  hop- 
ing that  in  tlie  not  too  far  away  future,  such  gather- 
ings will  be  called  by  a  different  name,  and  that 
laymen  and  lay  women  will  be  in  as  full  evidence  as 
teachers.  An  unprejudiced  looker-on  at  that  con- 
vention might  have  imagined  that  he  perceived  Just 
the  same  pedagogic  atmosphere  as  one  feels  in  the 
schools;  an  atmosphere  generated  in  the  study  and 
the  class-room.  It  savoured  of  assurance.  It  had  a 
strong  note  of  self-congratulation.  It  was  erudite. 
But  it  lacked  completely  the  elements  which  a  solid 
contingent  of  Parents  would  have  imparted  to  it. 
Parents  have  little  assurance.  They  hold  their 
breath.  They  proceed  cautiously,  following  their 
children  somewhat.  They  have  not  erudition;  they 
have  instinct  and  practical  sense.  We  ought  to  have 
been  in  it. 

We  ought  to   be  in   everything   which   concerns 


PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS       279 

education.  I  believe  it  would  be  a  surprise  to  the 
great  body  of  parents  if  they  realised  how  many 
thoughtful  people  are  questioning  whether  it  is  profit- 
able to  send  young  men  and  women  to  college.  So 
true  is  this  that  George  Gary  Bush,  in  his  Higher 
Education  in  Massachusetts,  tells  us  that  "  The  pro- 
portion of  those  who  pass  through  a  college  course 
grows  smaller  with  each  advancing  decade."  Presi- 
dent Eliot  has  proved  to  us  the  same  fact  by  statistics. 
Mr.  Bush  asks  if  the  decline  may  not  be  "  due  to  the 
increasingly  high  standard  which  the  college  sets, 
and  be,  in  reality,  an  indication  of  progress."  But 
President  Eliot  attributes,  as  part  cause  of  this  fall- 
ing off,  the  insistence  of  colleges  in  giving  pref- 
erence to  Greek  and  Latin,  and  even  to  mathematics, 
over  other  and  newer  forms  of  knowledge.  That 
single  cause  has  quite  probably  been  a  sufficient  one 
to  effect  the  result,  for  eager  is  the  pursuit  of  youth 
after  the  "  new  knowledge  "  of  the  present  genera- 
tion.. Many  feel  as  Mr.  Adams  wrote  in  his  A 
College  Fetich:  "Do  what  he  will  no  man  can  keep 
pace  with  that  wonderful  modern  thought;  and  if  I 
must  choose — and  choose  I  must — I  would  rather 
learn  something  daily  from  the  living  who  are  to 
perish,  than  daily  muse  with  the  immortal  dead." 
But  whaterer  has  been  the  cause  of  scepticism  con- 


280       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

cerning  the  value  of  college  education,  one  of  the 
promptest  things  long  ago  effected  by  a  good  under- 
standing between  Pedagogue  and  Parent  would  have 
been  either  the  removal  of  the  cause,  or  the  justifica- 
tion of  it.  Probably  indeed,  the  falling  off  would 
never  have  occurred. 

Again;  a  conference  of  over  three  years'  duration 
has  been  going  on  between  the  faculty  and  the  over- 
seers of  Harvard  University,  concerning  a  revolu- 
tionary change  in  its  admission  requirements,  which 
has  at  last  culminated  in  letter  if  not  wholly  in 
spirit,  in  the  placing  of  "  other  knowledge  "  on  a  par 
with  the  classics.  This  subject  has  been  discussed 
and  decided  upon  with  no  manifestation  of  interest, 
or  influence,  on  the  part  of  the  great  body  of  parents, 
who  have  been  almost  in  utter  ignorance,  indeed,  that 
such  a  discussion  was  in  progress.  For  parents, 
especially  the  parents  of  scientifically  minded  youths, 
how  important  is  the  decision!  Yet  the  utmost 
concerning  the  matter  which  has  seemed  to  get 
thoroughly  into  the  minds  of  Parents,  is  a 
vague,  satisfying  consciousness  that  it  has  at  last 
"been  fixed  so  that  you  can  go  to  college  without 
Greek!  " 

Dr.  S.  H.  Butcher,  in  Some  Aspects  of  the  OreeJc 
Genius,  writes: 


PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS  281 

"  From  Greece  came  that  first  mighty  impulse 
whose  far-off  workings  are  felt  by  us  to-day,  and 
which  has  brought  it  about  that  progress  has  been 
accepted  as  the  law  and  goal  of  human  endeavour. 
Greece  first  took  up  the  task  of  equipping  man  with 
all  that  fits  him  for  civil  life  and  prompts  his  secular 
well-being;  of  unfolding  and  expanding  every  in- 
born faculty  and  energy,  bodily  and  mental;  of  striv- 
ing restlessly  after  the  perfection  of  the  whole,  and 
finding  in  this  effort  after  an  unattainable  ideal, 
that  by  which  man  becomes  like  to  the  gods." 

Munroe,  in  his  Educational  Ideal,  felt  justified 
in  saying  of  Rabelais: 

"  He  taught  truth  and  simplicity,  he  ridiculed 
hypocrisy  and  formalism,  he  denounced  the  worship 
of  words,  he  demanded  the  study  of  things,  he  showed 
the  beauty  of  intellectual  health,  of  moral  discipline, 
of  real  piety.  Best  of  all  he  enumerated  the  su- 
preme principle  of  nature  which  is  ordered  free- 
dom." 

Thus  this  "  first  mighty  impulse "  was  given 
momentum  more  than  two  thousand  years  ago;  and 
Eabelais  lived  in  the  sixteenth  century.  If  so  far 
back  as  that,  the  foundational  principles  could  get 
discovered;  if,  in  the  dissipated  life  about  him,  a 
recreant,  but  observant  man  of  the  world,  could  re- 


282       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

discover  them,  and  a  whole  procession  of  torch- 
bearers  be  found  to  pass  on  the  educational  light 
through  all  the  intermediate  generations,  surely  we 
ought  by  this  time  to  have  gotten  farther  out  of  laby- 
rinthic  obscurity  in  practical  educational  matters! 
In  theory,  we  are,  indeed,  somewhat  well  out  in  the 
open;  but  we  still  mass  our  children  in  phalanxes  to 
be  what  we  call  "  educated." 

Yet,  too  much  still,  is  the  fresh,  strong  young  will 
suppressed;  eager  individuality  is  still  too  much 
effaced;  too  much  still  do  our  youth  come  'forth  from 
school  "  machine-made  men." 

How  shall  we  dare  accuse  European  nations  of 
making  machines  of  men  by  compelling  them,  during 
so  many  of  their  career-shaping  years,  to  yield  obe- 
dience to  their  vast  war  machinery?  Individuality 
must  be  left  behind  when  men  enter  that  machine; 
will  must  be  soothed  to  slumber.  So,  too  much,  must 
our  boys  and  girls  bid  farewell  to  individuality  and 
will,  when  they  start  in  on  one  of  our  eight  or  nine 
or  ten  year  curricula.  "  Who  is  going  to  prevail?  " 
asked  a  teacher  of  a  little  fellow  who  had  brought 
back  his  home  work  all  correctly  done,  but  clinging 
to  his  own  arrangement  of  it,  "  who  is  going  to  pre- 
vail?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  child  wistfully. 


PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS       283 

"  I  am,"  said  the  teacher  firmly,  "  next  time  do  it 
the  regular  way  like  the  others."  The  boy  had 
simply  trimmed  his  work  up  in  red  ink!  Doubtless 
he  was  looking  forward  to  the  teacher's  praising  it  as 
"  pretty  ";  but  should  the  teacher  once  begin  to  allow 
departures  it  could  not  be  foretold  where  it  would 
end!     The  teacher  "  prevailed  "! 

It  was  exactly  thus  that  the  French  Louis  XIV. 
"  prevailed  "  and  preserved  uniformity  in  his  king- 
dom by  relentless  persecution  of  his  loyal  and  indus- 
trious Huguenot  subjects,  although  by  "  prevailing  " 
he  set  back  the  progress  of  his  country,  so  say  the  his- 
torians, for  a  century  or  so.  It  was  a  big  price  that 
the  French  nation  paid  for  Louis'  famous  proverb: 

"  Un  roi,  une  loi,  une  foi; 
L'etat,  c'est  moi." 

It  is  a  big  price,  too,  that  we  are  paying  for  uniform- 
ity in  our  schools.  And  why,  pray,  do  we  pay  it? 
Why,  in  our  children's  education,  do  we  lag  in  prac- 
tice so  far  behind  the  shining  light  of  theory?  Is  it 
for  lack  of  money?  Most  certainly  not.  We  are  a 
rich  nation  and  we  have  the  custom  of  affording 
whatever  we  really  desire.  Is  it  for  lack  of  interest? 
Not  at  all.  Our  educational  force  is  made  up  of  a 
class  of  men  and  women,  high-minded,  zealous,  con- 


284  PEDAGOGUES  AND   PARENTS 

scientious.  Why  then  should  it  be  possible  for  a  man 
like  Superintendent  Button  to  feel  like  writing: 
"  Education  in  this  country  has  clung  too  closely  to 
old  ideals  and  conditions  and  has  not  adapted  itself 
easily  to  new  situations"?  Somehow  I  cannot  help 
feeling  that  Parents  do  "  adapt  themselves  more 
easily  to  new  situations."  In  the  school  it  is  the 
scheme  which  is  the  constant  thing,  but  in  the  home 
the  parent  is  ever  shifting  the  scheme  to  fit  the  vary- 
ing needs  of  the  child.  "  No  nation  which  is  virtu- 
ous and  vital  will  ever  be  a  slave  to  the  past,"  writes 
Edwin  D.  Mead  in  his  The  Principles  of  the  Found- 
ers; "  at  the  command  of  virtue  and  of  vision  it  will 
snap  precedent  like  a  reed."  Parents  are  compelled 
to  be  continually  snapping  precedent  like  a  reed! 
Children  are  not  bashful  in  the  home,  and  they  force 
parents  to  prompt  adaptation. 

In  the  Harvard  Graduate  Magazine  we  read: 
"  The  subject  of  education  forces  itself  on  us  all 
nowadays,  whether  we  will  or  not,  and  is  likely  to 
grow  more,  rather  than  less,  insistent.  For  well- 
nigh  a  century  we  Americans  pointed  to  our  Public 
School  system  as  if  it  had  always  been  perfect  and 
would  always  remain  so,  and  required  no  more  atten- 
tion from  anybody.  Only  in  our  own  generation  has 
this  fallacy  been  exploded." 


PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS  285 

The  passionate  love  of  youth  for  the  "  new  knowl- 
edge "  has  been  a  large  element  in  the  explosion, 
and  will  have  to  be  a  large  one  in  the  gradual  recon- 
struction which  is  too  haltingly  taking  place.  So, 
also,  has  the  unrest  of  parents,  and  that,  too,  will 
have  to  be  taken  account  of. 

"  Victory  is  assured,"  writes  the  above-quoted  Dr. 
Butcher,  "  to  those  who  see  things  as  they  are,  and 
shun  illusion,  and  who  at  the  same  time,  summon  to 
the  aid  of  thought,  a  sustained  and  courageous  energy. 
In  the  divorce  between  thought  and  deed,  between 
speech  and  action,  Demosthenes  truly  saw  the  flaw 
that  was  destined  fatally  to  impair  Greek  conduct 
and  character." 

G.  Stanley  Hall  and  his  inspired  Worcester  coterie 
may  continue  to  surprise  and  delight  us  with  educa- 
tional insight;  college  presidents  may  continue  to 
write  for  us  books  winning  our  highest  admiration; 
money  may  be  lavished  for  the  luxurious  housing  of 
our  schools  and  for  books  and  apparatus;  but  it  re- 
mains obstinately  in  my  mind  that  we  shall  not  easily 
shake  off  the  "  divorce  between  thought  and  deed," 
this  "  flaw "  in  our  educational  system,  until  the 
natural  cooperation  is  established  between  the  two 
departments  of  education.  In  the  preface  to  his 
great  work.  Adolescence,  just  published,  G.  Stanley 


286  PEDAGOGUES   AND   PARENTS 

Hall  \\Tites  with  great  feeling  and  sympathy  of  the 
age  of  transition  from  childhood  to  youth: 

"  Youth  awakes  to  a  new  world  and  understands 
neither  it  nor  himself.  The  whole  future  life  de- 
pends on  how  the  new  powers  now  given  suddenly 
and  in  profusion  are  husbanded  and  directed. 
Character  and  personality  are  taking  form;  but  every- 
thing is  plastic.  Self-feeling  and  ambition  are  in- 
creased and  every  trait  and  faculty  is  liable  to  exag- 
geration and  excess.  It  is  all  a  marvellous  new  birth, 
and  those  who  believe  that  nothing  is  so  worthy  of 
love,  reverence,  and  service  as  the  body  and  soul  of 
youth,  and  who  hold  that  the  best  test  of  every  human 
institution  is  how  much  it  contributes  to  bring  youth 
to  the  fullest  possible  development,  may  well  review 
themselves  and  the  civilisation  in  which  we  live  to 
see  how  far  it  satisfies  this  supreme  test." 

This  is  surely  a  trumpet-call  to  teachers.  It  is  as 
surely  a  trumpet-call  to  parents. 

Let  parents  humbly  fit  themselves  to  act  their 
part.  With  loyalty  to  schools  and  school-workers,  let 
us  yet  have  the  courage  of  conviction  which  comes  to 
us  through  close  intimacy  with  childhood.  Let  us 
consciously  and  conscientiously  enter  into  knowledge 
and  appreciation  of  what  is  going  on  in  the  educa- 
tional world.     How  shall  we  do  this? 


PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS       287 

I.  Read.  Read  enough  of  the  history  of  education 
to  understand  the  birth  of  this  "  New  Education  "; 
to  catch  the  spirit  of  it  and  feel  its  trend. 

Just  now,  to  write  freely  on  the  subject  of  Educa- 
tion seems  to  be  one  of  the  functions  of  college  presi- 
dents and  professors.  The  books  and  papers  they 
write  are  finely  inspiring.  Read  them  all!  At 
least  all  that  you  have  time  for  and  can  enjoy. 
They  are  a  spiritual  tonic.  Thus  you  shall  discover 
for  yourself  how  each  and  all,  though  in  a  different 
manner,  are  struggling  to  set  flowing  the  big,  clear 
current  of  modern  educational  thought,  namely:  that 
education  is  not  knowledge-getting  chiefly,  but  the 
growth  of  fully  developed  power,  with  the  law  of 
righteousness  established  within  for  the  control  of  it. 
Read.  Read  everything  that  is  good  on  the  subject 
of  education.  Reading  of  this  sort  is  culture  of  the 
highest  kind,  independent  of  its  utility.  As  soon  as 
it  shall  be  the  vogue  for  Parents  to  read  and  discuss 
largel}^  concerning  educational  topics,  there  will 
surely  come  forth  a  flood  of  reading,  profitable  and 
interesting  for  Parents.  From  this  reading,  and 
more  still  from  actual  experience  and  observation, 
formulate  your  own  ideas  and  theories,  and  have  the 
fearlessness  and  faith  to  abide  only  by  what  theory 
and  experience  shall  agree  upon.     Only  never  wear 


288       PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

theory  within  sight;  keep  it  well  within  the  sacred 
precincts  of  the  mind  and  heart.  What  a  glorious 
thing  for  us,  both  in  the  matter  of  grace  and  strength, 
is  that  skeleton  of  ours  with  its  two  hundred  and 
six  bones,  all  working  continually  for  us  with  easy 
adaptability!  But  should  we  not  be  thankful  to 
artistic  Nature  for  not  ordaining  that  we  must 
wear  the  uncanny  thing  on  the  outside!  Let  the 
virtue,  but  not  the  bones,  of  our  theories  appear. 

II.  Visit  the  schools,  not  censoriously,  but  sympa- 
thetically. Do  not  be  impatient — with  the  teachers. 
Large  bodies  move  slowly.  So  far  as  possible  follow 
in  detail  what  your  own  children  are  doing  and  be- 
coming. Be  sure  that  they  themselves  feel  that  they 
are  on  God's  highway,  not  groping  about  in  bypaths. 
Cooperate  with  the  teacher  even  if  she  isn't  doing 
things  exactly  as  you  would  like  to  see  them  done, 
always,  of  course,  keeping  your  own  ideals  well  in 
mind.  Remember  that  hearty  work  on  an  inferior 
plane  is  often  better  than  criticised  and  lagging  work 
on  a  higher  one. 

III.  Consider  it  your  office,  not  the  teacher's,  to 
keep  a  hand  on  the  brakes.  You  are  the  one  to 
preserve  tbe  physical,  mental,  moral,  and  social  health 
of  your  children.  Do  not  permit  them  to  be  wrecked 
or  stunted  or  subdued,  even  though  they  miss  a  little 


PEDAGOGUES  AND   PARENTS 


289 


"knowledge/'  When  children  are  overworked, 
Nature  is  as  likely  to  punish  us  by  wrecking  their 
morals,  as  their  bodily  or  mental  health.  Be  "ir- 
regularly bold "  enough  to  call  "  down  brakes! " 
rather  than  allow  children  to  go  too  long  or  too 
wearily  to  tasks. 

IV.  Last  and  most  important;  be  watchful!  Have 
faith  in  the  intimations  which  Nature  has  planted  for 
our  guidance  in  the  instincts  and  longings  of  the 
children  themselves.  While  they  are  learning  of  us 
we  may  learn  even  more  of  them.  So  shall  we  fulfil 
the  highest  law  of  parenthood,  which  is  for  our  own 
refining  as  much  as  for  the  well-being  of  childhood. 

Have  at  all  times  the  courage  of  conviction,  con- 
cerning your  own  individual  children.  Be  ever  on 
the  alert  to  spread  the  belief  that  it  is  not  necessary 
that  children  go  forward  all  alike  in  ranks.  Custom 
weighs  heavily  upon  us  in  this  matter!  And  who 
is  brave  enough  to  set  himself  up  against  "  Old  Cus- 
tom"? Only  he  who  is  great  dares  defy  Custom. 
Let  us  strive  to  be  great  enough  to  defy  her  in  this 
long-established,  deep-rooted  belief,  that  children 
cannot  be  given  individual  care  when  educated  in 
numbers.  We  may,  however,  take  heart.  To  visions 
made  prophetic  by  love  and  ambition,  fearlessness 
and  faith,  and  fortified  by  true  culture,  the  fallacy 


^90  PEDAGOGUES  AND  PARENTS 

of   this   belief    is   already   beginning    to   be   made 
apparent. 

On  the  loving-cup  presented  to  President  Eliot  on 
the  occasion  of  his  seventieth  birthday  is  the  inscrip- 
tion: "  In  grateful  acknowledgment  of  his  devotion 
to  the  University  for  35  years  and  of  his  passion  for 
justice,  for  progress,  and  for  truth."  With  the  ideal 
home  and  the  ideal  school  ever  unobscured  in  our 
minds,  let  us  all  work  together  with  that  same  "  pas- 
sion for  Justice,  for  progress,  and  for  truth."  Only 
together  shall  we  find  grace  and  strength  to  so  satisfy 
the  cravings  of  childhood  that  men  and  women  may 
not  too  overwhelmingly  feel  their  lives 

"  A  crying  out  for  light  that  has  not  shone; 
A  sowing  of  sweet  seeds  that  will  not  spring." 


THE    END 


STANDARD   CYCLOPEDIAS  FOR  YOUNG  OR   OLD. 

CHAMPLIN'S 
Voung    Folks'    Ciyclopaedias 

Profusely  illustrated.      8vo.      ^2.50  each. 

LITERATURE  AND  ART. 

Short  accounts  of  the  great  books,  important  short  stories 
and  poems  (Mollier  Goose,  popular  fairy  tales,  etc.,  not  being 
neglected),  notable  characters  and  objects  in  fiction,  celebrated 
buildings,  stature,  pictures,  songs,  operas,  etc. 
LIFE:  "A  good  book  to  buy  for  the  young  folks  and  use  your- 
self. It  contains  a  great  deal  of  handy  information  which, 
unlike  the  young  folks,  most  of  us  have  had  time  to  forget." 

COMMON  THINGS. 

SUSAN  COOLIDGE:  • 

"A  book  which  will  be  of  permanent  value  to  any  boy 
or  girl  to  whom  it  may  be  given,  and  which  fills  a  place  in 
the  juvenile  library,  never,  so  far  as  I  know,    supplied   before." 

PERSONS  AND   PLACES. 

N.  Y.  EVENING  POST: 

"We  know  copies  of  the  work  to  which  their  young 
owners  turn  instantly  for  information  upon  every  theme 
about  which  they  have  questions  to  ask.  More  than  this,  we 
know  that  some  of  these  copies  arc  read  daily,  as  well  as 
consulted;  that  their  owners  turn  the  leaves  as  they  migh^ 
those  of  a  fairy  book,  reading  intently  articles  of  which  they 
had  not  thought  before  seeing  them,  and  treating  the  book 
simply  as  one  capable  of  furnishing  the  rarest  entertainment 
in  exhaustless  quantities." 

GAMES  AND  SPORTS. 

5y  JOHN  D.  CHAMPLIN  an  J  ARTHUR  BOSTWICK. 

N.  Y.  TRIBUNE: 

"A  mine  of  joy;  ...  a  positive  treasure  to  the  game- 
loving  girl  or  boy." 

NATURAL  HISTORY. 

JTy  JOHN  D.  CHAMPLIN,  assisted  by  FREDERICK  A.  LUCAS. 

(/;;  press). 

Other  hooks  by  Mr.   Champlin  : 

YOUNG     FOLKS'    HISTORY    OF    THE    WAR    FOR    THE 
UNION.  TVith  numerous  iUustrations.      8vo.      JP2.50. 

YOUNG  FOLKS'  CATECHISM   OF  COMMON  THINGS. 

l6mo.       48c.   net. 
YOUNG  FOLKS'    ASTRONOMY.  i6mo.      48c.  net. 

HENRY     HOLT    AND     COMPANY, 

NEW  YORK.  (xii.'oj).  CHICAGO. 


JUVENILES 

Prince  Henry's  Sailor  Boy 

By   OTTO    VON    BRUNECK 
Freely  translated  by  Mary  J.   Safford.     With  illustrations 
by  George  A.  Williams.      i2mo.      $1.50. 

r>runeck  might  be  called  the  Oerman  Henty.  This  is  the  story  of  Claus 
Erichsen,  whom  i'rince  Henry  is  supposed  to  save  in  the  .Baltic  Sea. 
The  duties,  perils,  fun,  and  frolic  of  a  lad  in  the  German  navy  are  faithfully 
described  tie  has  many  adventures,  crosses  the  !•  quator,  passes  through 
the  Suez  Canal,  visits  Jap  in,  China  and  Africa. 

Nelson's  Yankee  Boy 

By   F.   U.   COSTELLO 

Illustrated  by  W.  H.  Dunton.      i*2mo.      $1  50. 

A  book  for  a  sea-loving  boy — that  is,  for  any  boy.  At  least  a  comer  of 
Henty's  mantle  has  fallen  upon  the  author.  A  resourceful,  manly  Ameri- 
can sailor  boy  is  impressed  by  the  English.  His  adventures,  against  the 
ever  attractive  historical  background  of  Trafalgar  an<l  Nelson,  are  described 
with  accurate  descriptive  detail,  ihe  story  concludes  with  a  sea  fight  in 
our  own  War  of  1812. 

of  Bob's  Hiii 

By   CHARLES    PIERCE   BURTON 

Illustrated  by  George  A.  Williams.      I2<tio. 

A  hook  about  boys  and  for  boys.  It  is  a  lively  tale  of  a  party  of  sworn 
friends  who  are  bent  on  having  good  fun  and  good  sport.  They  live  in  a 
part  of  the  country  where  fun,  and  sport,  and  exciting  adventures  are 
everyday  matters.  Perhaps  the  biggest  thing  in  the  book  is  tlie  forest  fire. 
Healthy,  pluc-ky,  whole-souled  chaps  are  these  Boys  uf  Bob's  Hill. 

Dandelion  Cottag-e 

By  CARROLL  WATSON   RANKIN 
Illustrated  by  Florence  Scovel  Shinn  and  Elizabeth  Finley. 
i2mo.      $1.50. 

This  story,  for  girls,  illustrates  but  does  not  intrude  the  merit  of  self- 
rehance.  I'our  young  girls  are  given  the  use  of  a  tumble-down  cottage, 
whicli  thev  promptly  put  into  shape  and  in  which  they  cosily  keep  house 
all  summer.  Their  jovs  and  griefs  and  the  details  of  their  playing  house 
are  told  in  a  very  lifelike  manner. 


Henry       Holt      and      Company 

Publishers  (ix  '04)  New  York 


"A    FASCINATING    BOOK" 

Times'  Review  in  a  notice  of  a  i.oluiiin  and  ti  half. 


America,  Asia  and  tlie  Pacific 

WITH    SPECIAL    REFERENf   E    TO    THE   RUSSO-JAPANESE 

WAR  AND     TS  RESULTS 

Bv  Dr.  Wolf  von  Schibrbrand,  Author  of  "  Germany  c/  To-day  " 

T3  maps,  334  pp.     $1.50,  net.     (By  mail,  $i.6?.) 

This  book  treats  the  present  conflict  and  its  probable  results 
as  only  prtlimiuLuy  to  larger  considerations.  It  considers 
America's  relations  to  all  the  countries  affected  by  the  Pan- 
ama Canal,  to  those  on  both  coasts  of  the  Pacific,  and  to  the 
islands,  besides  analyzing  the  strength  and  weakness  of  our 
rivals. 

Public  Of'inion  : — "  A  most  interesting  treatise  .  .  .  having  an  im- 
portant bearing  upon  our  future  progress." 

ReT'ero  rf  Rei'irws  : — "His  observations  on  the  Panama  Canal  and 
the  future  of  the  Dutch  East  Indies  are  particularly  interesting  and  sug- 
gestive." 

Outlook  :— "  An  interesting  .  .  .  survey  of  a  broad  field.  .  .  .  The 
work  contains  a  great  variety  of  useful  infonnation  concerning  the  many 
countries  under  review  .  .  .  especially  valuable  lo  American  exporters." 

Li'er.xyv  U'oflil  ( Boston) : — "  While  the  work  is  primarily  intended  to 
relate  particularly  to  the  present  war  audits  outcome,  it  contains  many 
facts  and  figures  about  nearly  all  countries  in  the  world,  which  are  con- 
ve"iient  for  reference,  and  readi'y  may  be  found  by  consulting  a  very  good 
index  at  the  end  of  the  volume." 

Phiiiid  If'kii  I.i-'h'fr  : — "Will  repay  perusal  by  every  thoughtful 
business  man.  .  .  .  Presenting  in  a  forceful  and  attractive  manner  the 
importance  of  the  Pacific  as  the  future  field  for  the  world's  political  and 
commercial  activity." 

Brookh  n  Fn-;le  : — "A  forceful  and  an  mated  setting  forth  of  certain 
world-important  conditions  as  they  obtain  to-day." 

D'-troit  Free  Press  : — "  Most  illuminating.  .  .  .  The  author  is  a  keen 
student  of  world  forces.  He  has  the  insight  of  the  historian,  the  grasp  of 
the  logician,  a  forcible  and  lucid  style,  and  writes  with  the  sincerity 
of  conviction." 

San  Fravc'sco  Chronicle: — "Possesses  the  great  merit  of  direcfinrr 
the  attention  of  the  American  people  to  the  necessity  of  prompt  and  emr 
getic  action  if  they  would  reap  the  fruits  of  their  position  on  the  Pacilit 
.  .  .  the  production  of  an  eminent  publicist.*' 

Washington  Star: — "His  entire  discussion  is  suggestive  and  stimu- 
lating.    Data  and  reasoning  worth  profound  consideration." 

***  Of  interest  in  this  connection  are  Wallace's  Russia,  fifteenth 
printing.      $2.00. 

Krai'S'^e's    Russia    in    Asia,    1558-1899.       With   twelve    maps. 

(Second  prmting  )     54.00. 

Thompson's  Russian  Politics,  with  maps.      ;p2.oo. 

Henry      Holt     and     Company 

Publishers  ('x  '04)  New  York 


'''■The  best  single  help  to  the  study  of  Parsifal 

with  which  I  am  acquainted     .    .    .     for  its  purpose,  the  book  h?,o 
no  adequate  fellow."— H.  E.  KREHBIEL  in  the  Introduction. 


KUFFERATH'S   WAGNEKS 

PARSIFAL 

Translated  by  Louise  N.    Henermann. 

XVIII  +   300  pp.,  I2mo,  fl.50,  net  (by  mail,  |l.6l). 

Thh  remarkably  comprehenii-ve  hook  contains  an  Introduction  by  H.  E, 
KREHBIEL  ;  eight  full-page  illustrations  in  halftone  of  the  scenery  at 
the  Metropolitan  Opera  House ;  The  Motifs  in  Musical  Notation;  Chapttrt 
on  The  Legendy  History  and  Poetry;  The  Perce-val  of  Chretien  de  Troies, 
The  Par-ai-val  of  Wolfram  Von  Eschenbach;  The  Drama  {^JVagner'' s)^ 
The  Genesis  of  Parsifal ;  The  Bayreuth  Performance ;  The  Score. 

MR.   KREHBIEL  further  says  in  his  Introduction: 

"The  production  of  "Parsifal  "  in  New  York  was  the  most  notable 
occurrence  compassed  by  the  annals  of  the  lyric  stage  in  America. 
"  Parsifal  "  stands  apart,  not  only  from  all  other  operas,  but  also  from 
the  lyric  dramas  sprung  from  the  same  creative  mind.  It  is  not  easy 
to  find  the  properest  frame  of  mind  in  which  to  approach  it.  .  .  .  If 
any  work  of  dramatic  art  invites  study  and  is  likely  to  repay  it,  it  is 
"  Parsifal."  It  was  necessary  that  a  scholar  should  gather  intoa  com- 
pendium the  most  important  things  discovered  by  the  investigation  of 
specialists,  which  throw  light  on  Wagner's  work,  add  to  its  charm, 
and  present  it  lucidly,  entertainingly  and  convincingly  to  the  many. 
This  M.  KufFerath  has  done.  His  book  stands  quite  alone  in  the  field 
of  Wagiieriana.  .  .  •  Kufferath  makes  many  a  pretty  walk  into  by- 
paths which  Wolzogen  never  knew  .  .  .  more  voluminous,  more  de- 
lightful than  the  one  on  the  score,  and  equally  valuable,  are  the  chap- 
ters devoted  to  the  vicissitudes  of  the  Grail  legend  before  Wagner 
seized  upon  it  as  dramatic  material ;  the  story  of  how  the  work  grew 
in  Wagner's  mind;  the  account  of  its  first  performance;  the  exposi- 
tion of  the  philosophy  of  pity  and  its  relation  to  Wagner's  personal 
character  and  religious  speculations;  and,  finally,  the  exposition  of 
the  drama  itself.  .  .  .  Kufferath's  German  origin  lent  him  serious- 
ness of  purpose,  sympathy  with  Wolfram  Eschenbach 's  poem,  and  the 
capacity  for  patient  research  ;  his  French  breeding  and  literary  train- 
ing, deftness  of  touch  and  skill  in  narrative;  his  musical  learning, 
capacity  to  understand  and  facility  to  expound  Wagner's  music,  and 
love  for  Wagner's  art,  fired  him  with  an  enthusiasm  which  ''lumines 
nearly  every  page." 

HENRY    HOLT    AND     COMPANY, 

25  W.  a3d  Street,  C".  'o4)-  NEW  YORK. 


"  Each  one  0/  tltein  is  a  blfssing.  It  will  aid  digestion,  induce 
health,  and  add  to  the  joy  o/the  iiving.'" — Washington  Star. 

More  Cheerful  Americans 

By  CHARLES   BATTELL  LOOMIS 
Illustrated  by  MRS.  SHINN  and  others.     i2mo,  $1.25. 

Eighteen  humorous  tales  in  the  vein  of  the  author's  popular 
"Cheerful  Americans"  with  a  dozen  equally  humorous  pic- 
tures, six  of  them  by  Florence  Scovel  Shinn.  To  these  is 
appended  a  delightfully  satirical  paper  on  "  How  to  Write  a 
Novel  for  the  Masses." 

EVEN  JADED  LITERARY  EDITORS  ENJOY  THESE  STORIES. 

N.  V.  Evening  Post :  "  The  title  not  Only  fits  the  book,  bnt  is 
eaoally  applicable  to  those  who  read  it.     The  delight  of  Mr. 

Loomis's  stories  is  the  utter  lack  of  seriousness  with  which  he  takes  life. 
.  .  .  Many  glittering  little  bits  of  humor  side  by  side  with  various 
open  attacks  upon  the  follies  and  foibles  of  mankind." 

A^.  V.   Times  Review  :  "  We  take  this  occasion  to  publicly  thank  Mr. 

Loomis.  .  .  .  This  new  volnme  of  American  hnmor  equals  in 
merit  its  predecessor, '  Cheerful  Americans.*  It  is  full  of  good, 
comic  tales,  well  told.  .  .  .  Slices  of  real  life.  ...  A  book  full  of  whole- 
some diversion." 

Cheerful     Americans 

By  CHARLES  BATTELL  LOOMIS. 

With    24    Illustrations    by    FLORENCE    SCOVEL    SHINN, 
FANNY  Y.  CORY  and  others.     i2mo.     $1.25 

Seventeen  humorous  tales,  including  three  quaint  automobile 
stories,  and  the  "Americans  Abroad  "  series,  "The  Man  of 
Putty,"  "Too  Much  Boy."  "The  Men  Who  Swapped  Lan- 
guages," "  Veritable  Quidors,"  etc. 

jV.  Y.  Times  Saturday  Review  says  of  one  of  the  stories:  "IT  IS 
WORTHY  OF  FRANK  STOCKTON."  The  rest  of  the  notice 
praises  the  book. 

N.  Y.  Tribune  :  "He  is  unaffectedly  funny,  and  entertains  US  from 

beginning:  to  end." 

Nation  :  "  The  mere  name  and  the  very  cover  are  full  of  hope.  .  .  . 
This  small  volume  is  a  safe  one  to  lend  to  a  gambler,  an  invalid,  a 
hypochondriac,  or  an  old  lady ;  more  than  safe  for  the  normal  man.   .  ,  . 

The  book  should  fulfill  a  useful  mission  on  rainy  days." 

Henry     Holt     and     Company 

29  West  Twenty-third  Street         -         -         -         New  York 


MASON'S  HYPNOTISM  AND  SUGGESTION  ia  mera- 

peutics,  Education,  and  Reform.     344  pp.     i2mo.    $1.50. 
2d  Impression  of  a  popular  yel  scientific  work. 

Book  Buyur:  •'  The  tone  of  Dr.  Mason's  book  could  not  be  bet- 
ter. .  .  .  The  statements  of  a  modest,  earnest,  candid  man  of 
science,  who  is  not  thinking  of  himself,  but  who,  through  facts, 
is  seeking  after  law  and  through  law,  for  the  newer  therapeu- 
tics, the  wider  education,  the  nobler  living." 

N.  V.  Herald:  "Written  by  a  practising  physician,  who 
finds  an  incidental  interest  in  the  scientific  study  of  an  impor- 
tant subject.  Dr.  Mason  does  not  seek  to  astonish  you  with  the 
record  of  hypnotic  marvels  performed  by  himself.  He  depre- 
cates the  sensational  ways  in  which  hypnotism  has  been  ex- 
ploited by  the  periodicals  and  the  press,  so  that  the  unlearned 
and  unstable  have  been  duped  into  all  sorts  of  extravagant  ideas 
as  to  its  possibilities." 

Public  Opinion:  "  A  model  of  simplicity  and  common  sense. 
The  book  gives  a  clear  idea  of  the  meaning  of  hypnotism  and 
suggestion  in  a  scientific  sense,  but  it  is  to  be  more  highly 
valued  for  its  exposition  of  the  utilities  (and  illustrations)  of 
these  agents  of  reform  and  therapeutics.  The  chapter  concern- 
ing '  Rapport '  is  to  be  especially  recommended  to  those  who 
find  in  the  phenomena  of  subconsciousness  support  for  super- 
natural and  spiritistic  theories." 

Chicago  Evening  Post:  "He  discusses  the  question  with 
earnestness,  candor  and  many  illustrations.  .  .  .  He  says  many 
things  that  are  sensible  and  suggestive." 

Chi4rchman  :  "  The  book  has  a  very  practical  value,  and  con- 
siderable ethical  significance." 

MASON'S    TELEPATHY   AND   THE    SUBLIMINAL 

SELF.  Treating  of  Hypnotism,  Automatism,  Dreams,  and  Phantasms. 
5tli  Impression.    343  pp.    izmo.    $1.30. 

Boston  Transcript :  "He  repudiates  the  idea  of  the  super- 
natural altogether,  and  in  this  he  is  in  accord  with  the  best 
thought  of  the  day.   .   .   .  Interesting  and  logical." 

N.  V.  Times:  "  The  curious  matter  he  treats  about  he  pre- 
sents in  an  interesting  manner." 

Outlook  :  "  Will  have  many  readers.  ...  A  not  inconsiderable 
contribution  to  psychical  research." 

Chicago  Tribune:  "Certain  to  attract  wide  attention;  .  .  , 
thoroughly  interesting.  .  .  .  The  spirit  of  his  work  is  such  as  to 
deserve  respectful  attention  from  every  scientific  mind." 

HENRY  HOLT  &  CO.      ^«  ^^l^^^A'^^^'- 

VI,  '01  ( 


LUCAS'  THE  OPEN  ROAD 

A  little  book  for  wayfarers.  (  (unpiled  by  E.  V.  Lucas.  JI7/A  iilus- 
tratiii  cot'eritHings.  Green  niij  gold  flexible  cover.s.  sd  Impression. 
i2mo.    $1.50. 

Some  125  poems  (mostly  complete)  and  25  prose  passages,  representing 
over  60  authors,  including  Fitzgerald,  Shelley,  Shakespeare  Kenneth 
Grahame,  Stevenson,  Whitman,  i.liss  t  arman,  browning,  William  Watson, 
Alice  Meynel,  Keats,  Wordsworth,  Matthew  Arnold,  Tennyson,  William 
Morris,  Maurice  Hewlett,  Isaak  Walton,  William  Barnes,  Herrick,  Gervase 
Markham.  Dobson,  Lamb,  Milton,  Whittier,  etc. 

Critic:  "The  selections  tell  of  farewells  to  winter  and  the  town,  of 
spring  and  the  beauty  ot  tlie  earth,  of  lovers,  of  sun  and  cloud  and  the  windy 
hills,  of  birds,  blossoms,  and  trees — in  fact  of  everything  that  makes  work, 
well-nigh  impossible  when  the  world  of  nature  begins  to  wake  from  its  long 
sleep  " 

Dial:  "A  very  charming  book  from  cover  to  cover.  .  .  .  Some  things 
are  lacking,  but  all  that  there  is  is  good." 

New  York  T>i' une  :  "  It  has  been  made  with  good  taste,  and  is  alto- 
gether a  capital  publication.'' 

London  Times  :  ''  The  only  thing  a  poetry-loving  cyclist  could  allege 
against  the  book  is  that  its  fascinations  would  make  him  rest  too  long." 

LUCAS'  A  BOOK   OF    VERSES   FOR  CHILDREN 

Over  200  poems,  representing  some  Ho  authors.  Compiled  by  Edward 
Verrall  Lucas.  With  title-page  and  cover- lining  pictures  in  color  by 
F.  D.  Bedford,  two  other  illustrations,  and  white  cloth  cover  in  three 
colors  and  gilt.     Revised  edition.     i2mo.     fi.oo. 

This  book  will  please  older  readers,  too.  Among  the  poets  represented 
are  "  Anstey,"  Bums,  "  Lewis  Carroll,"  Coleridge,  Mariorie  Fleming,  the 
Hewitts,  Lear,  Longfellow,  J.  W.  Riley,  Shakespeare,  Stevenson,  Ann 
and  Jane  Taylor,  Elizabeth  Turner,  etc. 

Critic  :  "  We  know  of  no  other  anthology  for  children  so  complete 
and  well  arranged." 

New  York  Tribune:  "  The  book  remains  a  good  one;  it  contains 
so  much  that  is  charming,  so  much  that  is  admirably  in  tune  with  the 
spirit  of  childhood.  Moreover,  the  few  colored  decorations  with 
which  it  is  supplied  are  extremely  artistic,  and  the  cover  is  exception- 
ally attractive." 

Churchman  :  "  Beautiful  in  its  gay  cover,  laid  paper,  and  decorated 
title-page.  Mr.  Edward  Verrall  Lucas  has  made  the  selections  with 
nice  discrimination  and  an  intimate  knowledge  of  children's  needs 
and  capacities.  Many  of  the  selections  are  classic,  all  are  refined  and 
excellent.     The  book  is  valuable  as  a  household  treasi'Te." 

Bookman  :  "  A  very  satisfactory  book  for  its  purpose,  and  has  in  it 
much  that  is  not  only  well  adapted  to  please  and  interest  a  rational 
child,  but  that  is  good,  sound  literature  also." 

Poet  Lore  :  "  A  child  could  scarcely  get  a  choicer  range  of  verse  to 
roll  over  in  his  mind,  or  be  coaxed  to  it  by  a  prettier  volume.  ...  A 
book  to  take  note  of  against  Christmas  and  all  the  birthday  gift  times 
of  the  whole  year  round." 

HENRY  HOLT  &  CO.     ^^  ^^f^%%.T^^^ 


"0«<  if  the  most  imfiortant  ioois  en   music  that  hat  eve,    ''een  published.^' — 
VV.  J.   HENDERSON  in  the  N.  Y.  Times. 

FOURTH  EDITION,  with  a  new  chapter  by  H.  E.  KREHBIEL, 
covering  Richard  Strauss,  Cornelius,  Goldmark,  Kienzl,  Hum- 
perdlnck,  Smetana,  Dvorak,  Charpentier,  Elgar,  etc. 

LAVIGNAC'S 

Music  and  Musicians 

Translated  by  WILLIAM   MARCHANT. 

With    additional   chapters    by   HENRY  E.    KREHBIEL  on 
Music  in  America  and  The  Present  State  or  the  Art  or  Music. 

With  94  Illustrations  and  $lo  examples  in  Musical  Notation.  $l8  pp.,  izmo, 
I1.75  net.     By  mail,  Jl. 91. 

^  A  brilliant,  sympathetic  and  authoritative  work  cover- 
ing musical  sound,  the  voice,  musical  instruments,  con- 
struction assthetics  and  the  history  of  music,  A  veritable 
musical  cyclopedia,  with  some  thousand  topics  in  the  index. 

W.  F.  APTHORP  in  the  Transcript: — 

Admirably  written  in  its  way,  capitally  indexed,  and  of  genuine  value 
as  a  handy  book  of  reference.  It  contains  an  immense  amount  of 
condensed  information  on  almost  every  point  connected  with  the  art 
which  it  were  well  for  the  intelligent  music-lover  to  know.  .  .  .  Mr. 
Marchant  has  done  his  hard  task  of  translating  exceedingly  well.  .  .  . 
Well  worth  buying  and  owning  by  all  who  are  interested  in  muiical 
knowledge. 

W.  J.  HENDERSON  in  the  N.  Y.  Times  :— 

A  truly  wonderful  production  ;  .  .  .  a  long  and  exhaustive  account 
of  the  manner  of  using  the  instruments  of  the  orchestra,  with  some 
highly  instructive  remarks  on  coloring.  .  .  .  Harmony  he  treats 
aot  only  very  fully,  but  also  in  a  new  and  intensely  interesting  way. 
.  .  Counterpoint  is  discussed  with  great  thoroughness.  ...  It 
seems  to  have  been  his  idea  when  he  began  to  lei  no  interesting  topic 
escape.  .  .  .  The  wonder  is  that  the  author  has  succeeded  in 
making  those  parts  of  the  book  which  ought  naturally  to  be  dry  so  read> 
able.  ...  A  style  which  can  be  fairly  described  as  fascinating. 
.  .  .  It  will  serve  as  a  general  reference  book  for  either  the  musician 
or  the  music-lover.  It  will  save  money  in  the  purchase  of  a  library  by 
filling  the  places  of  several  smaller  books.  .  .  .  A  complete  directory 
of  musicil  literature.  .  .  .  One  of  the  most  important  books  on 
music  that  have  ever  been  published. 

HENRY    HOLT   &    COMPANY, 

NEH^  YORK.  (vili,'oj).  CHICAGO. 


5S  4  6       2 


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